HOT News Video: Detroit officer accused of fatally punching 71-year-old charged with manslaughter

A Detroit police officer has been charged with manslaughter after he allegedly punched a 71-year-old man, who then fell backwards and struck his head on the pavement outside a bowling alley, prosecutors said.

The victim, Daryl Vance, died just weeks after his encounter with Juwan Marquise-Alexander Brown on Sept. 1, The Detroit News reported. He was among several officers who were called to Garden Bowl on the 4100 block of Woodward Avenue to investigate a disturbance involving Vance, who was intoxicated and being “disorderly” at the time, according to the Wayne County Prosecutors Office.

Shortly after law enforcement arrived on the scene around 7 p.m., Brown and Vance almost immediately became entangled in a verbal spat that quickly “escalated.” It ended only after the officer allegedly punched the victim in the face, causing him to fall and strike his head on the ground, prosecutors said.

Emergency responders arrived and transported Vance to a local hospital for treatment, where he died on Sept. 21. The Wayne County Medical Examiner later determined his death was caused by blunt force trauma to his head from the punch.

“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,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a statement. “This behavior cannot be tolerated from our law enforcement.”

Brown, 29, on Wednesday appeared via Zoom for his arraignment hearing and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. If convicted of manslaughter, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

Brown has also since been fired from the Detroit Police Department. Chief James White initially suspended the officer, citing “concerns that, at the very least, the officer did not adequately de-escalate or disengage from the situation.” On Tuesday, he announced Brown had “been terminated from the Detroit Police Department as a result of his actions on September 1, 2023.”

Brown intends to appeal his firing.