Detroit police officer faces charges after punch of 71-year-old man turns fatal

Prosecutors in Detroit on Tuesday charged a police officer with manslaughter in connection with the death of a 71-year-old man who the officer punched in the face during a confrontation in September.

Juwan Marquise-Alexander Brown, 29, was fired from the Detroit Police Department following the charge, according to a statement from the department. Brown's arrest came after the prosecutor's office in Wayne County, which encompasses Detroit, determined that his punch knocked the elderly man, Daryl Vance, to the ground, causing him to fatally strike his head on the pavement.

“Police officers frequently deal with citizens who are disorderly and verbally unpleasant," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Tuesday in announcing the charges against Brown. "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.”

An argument and a deadly punch

The charges stem from an incident at about 6:50 p.m. on Sept. 1, when police were dispatched to a bowling alley in Midtown Detroit, near Wayne State University, for complaints about Vance, who was accused of being disorderly.

According to Worthy, Brown and Vance into an argument that escalated, with Brown ultimately punching Vance in the face and knocking him to the ground.

Vance was taken to a local hospital where he stayed for three weeks before he died on Sept. 21. The Wayne County medical examiner concluded that Vance’s death was caused by blunt force trauma to his head, Worthy said.

Fired Detroit police officer appeals termination

After charges were filed, the Detroit police issued a statement saying that while Brown was fired, he is "exercising his contractual right to appeal the termination decision." During an appeal, DPD said he would remain off the payroll "and will not possess any law enforcement authority."

The statement also thanked the prosecutor's office for its work on the case, and said it will "cooperate fully" with Worthy's efforts to convict the officer.

Brown is expected to be arraigned at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in 36th District Court. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

An attorney of record is not known for Brown yet. He could not be reached for comment.

Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY