A Detroit police officer has been charged with manslaughter in the death of a 71-year-old man who died weeks after the cop allegedly punched him and he fell and hit his head on the pavement, prosecutors announced.
The officer, Juwan Marquise-Alexander Brown, 29, faces 15 years in prison, if convicted, in the death of Daryl Vance, the Wayne County Prosecutor Office announced Tuesday.
The incident occurred Sept. 1 in front of a bowling alley in the 4100 block of Woodward Avenue in Detroit after officers were dispatched on a call about Vance’s “disorderly” behavior, prosecutors said in a news release.
Brown allegedly got into a “verbal confrontation” with Vance and punched him in the face, causing Vance to fall and hit his head on the pavement, officials said.
Vance was transported to a hospital, where he remained until he was pronounced dead on Sept. 21, about three weeks later.
An autopsy determined he died of blunt force trauma to his head from the punch, prosecutors said.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said evidence in the case “shows that the officer allegedly was the aggressor.”
“His actions went criminally beyond what was necessary in this situation. This behavior cannot be tolerated from our law enforcement,” she added.
Brown will be arraigned Wednesday.
The Detroit Police Department told NBC News that Brown was terminated as a result of his actions on Sept. 1.
"However, Mr. Brown is exercising his contractual right to appeal the termination decision. During the pendency of an appeal, if sought, Mr. Brown will remain off DPD payroll and will not possess any law enforcement authority," the department said.