Detroit Police Officer Charged After Man He Punched Dies: Prosecutor

DETROIT — A former Detroit police officer was charged after he fatally punched an elderly man during a confrontation in September, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.

Daryl Vance, 71, died in a hospital 20 days after the officer punched him in the face, which caused him to fall to the ground and hit his head, prosecutors said.

Juwan Marquise-Alexander Brown, 29, was charged with manslaughter. His next court date was scheduled for Wednesday. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

Police said officers, including Brown, responded to a Midtown business around 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 1 for a disturbance caused by a man in his 70s, whom police believe was intoxicated.

When Brown and other officers arrived at the business, they asked Vance to leave the area, but he refused and a "verbal confrontation" between Brown and Vance escalated, police said.

Brown then punched Vance in the "in the area of the jaw," which caused him to fall and hit his head on the ground, police said.

Officials took Vance to a nearby hospital, where he died on Sept. 1, police said. The Wayne County Medical Examiner determined that Vance died of blunt force trauma to the head from the punch.

Detroit Police Chief James White suspended the officer, saying his decision was "influenced by concerns that, at the very least, the officer did not adequately de-escalate or disengage from the situation."

On Tuesday, the Detroit Police Department said in a statement that Mr. Brown had been terminated "as a result of his actions."

Police said Brown was planning to appeal that decision, but in the meantime, he would not be on police payroll or hold any law enforcement authority.

"Police officers frequently deal with citizens who are disorderly and verbally unpleasant. But the evidence in this case shows that the officer allegedly was the aggressor, and his actions went criminally beyond what was necessary in this situation. This behavior cannot be tolerated from our law enforcement," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a news release.