Detroit police commissioners urge Justice Department to investigate cop who killed elderly man

The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners is calling on the Justice Department to investigate a police officer who fatally assaulted a 71-year-old Black man outside of a bowling alley in Midtown.

The board voted 7-0 on Thursday to send a letter to U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison, urging her to review the case of Juwan Brown, a 29-year-old cop who taunted and escalated an encounter with the alleged victim on Sept. 1.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy charged Brown with manslaughter, but a 36th District Court judge dismissed the case in January, saying there wasn’t enough evidence to warrant a trial.

Worthy is appealing the decision.

Activist Reginald Crawford, a former Wayne County sheriff’s deputy who previously served on the Detroit police commission, urged the board to call for the federal investigation, pointing out that the Justice Department has successfully indicted abusive cops across the country on federal civil rights charges. In November 2023, an investigation by Ison led to the indictment of former Warren Police Officer Matthew Rodriguez, who punched a young Black man in the face and slammed his head to the ground.

Crawford says Ison has “a real Detroit connection” and should “do what’s right.”

“If you don’t, you’re sending a message that Black lives don’t matter,” Crawford tells Metro Times. “This man was killed, and his death was the result of the officer’s actions.”

Just before 7 p.m. on Sept. 1, Detroit police were called to the Garden Bowl on Woodward on a report of an intoxicated man causing a disturbance. When police arrived, 71-year-old Daryl Vance had already left the bar and was no longer causing any problems, witnesses said.

Brown aggressively approached Vance and threatened to punch him. The interaction quickly escalated, and Brown punched Vance in the jaw, causing him to fall and strike his head. Brown left Vance’s lifeless body sprawled out along Woodward Avenue and failed to provide medical attention, a witness told Metro Times less than a week after the incident.

Vance was on life support for 20 days before he died on Sept. 21 from blunt force trauma to his head.

“There was no de-escalation,” Crawford says. “The officer escalated it. He wasn’t defending himself. That’s why Mr. Vance died. This is about seeking justice for Mr. Daryl Vance.”

Police commissioners agreed.

“The officer taunted the senior citizen,” Commissioner Ricardo R. Moore tells Metro Times. “The man appeared to be in fear. This was a 29-year-old versus a 71-year-old.”

Police Commissioner Willie Burton says the public wants accountability, and the Justice Department is the best way of achieving that.

In its 50-year history, the Board of Police Commissioners has not always done its job of holding officers accountable and protecting the civil liberties of Detroiters, Burton says.

“The board still has a long way to go to earn the trust of the Detroit civil liberties community because this level of behavior is not acceptable,” Burton tells Metro Times. “This case is very alarming to our Detroit residents, and they want to see justice. They want to see accountability.”

Last month, Vance’s family filed a $50 million lawsuit against the city and the officer, alleging his civil rights were violated.