Detroit cop charged with manslaughter after bowling alley calls 911 to report unruly old man who refused to leave

A Detroit cop has been arrested and charged with manslaughter in connection with a call about an unruly old man who refused to leave an area bowling alley earlier this year.

Just before 7 p.m. on September 1, someone at the Garden Bowl — a bowling alley located on Woodward Ave. in Midtown, a popular arts and entertainment area in Detroit — called 911 to report a "disorderly" man who refused to leave. There were also concerns that the man, later identified as 71-year-old Daryl Vance, was armed.

Officer Juwan Marquise Alexander Brown, 29, was on duty that night and was dispatched to the scene. When Brown arrived, he managed to coax Vance out of the bowling alley, but the two got into an argument that escalated quickly, reports say.

Once outside, Brown allegedly punched Vance in the face, knocking the man to the ground. Vance was taken to a nearby hospital, but he died about three weeks later on September 21. The Wayne County medical examiner determined that blunt force trauma caused by the punch to the face had killed him.

Reports have not stated whether a weapon was ever found on Vance's person that night or whether he had a permit to carry concealed.

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On Tuesday morning, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced that Brown had been charged with manslaughter in connection with the case.

"Police officers frequently deal with citizens who are disorderly and verbally unpleasant," Worthy said in a statement. "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."

After the charges were filed, the Detroit Police Department moved swiftly to terminate Brown. Brown then immediately appealed his termination.

"Mr. Brown has been terminated from the Detroit Police Department as a result of his actions on Sept. 1, 2023," said a DPD statement issued Tuesday night. "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 Detroit Police Department thanks the Wayne County Prosecutors Office [sic] for their work on this matter. The DPD will cooperate fully with Prosecutor Worthy’s efforts toward obtaining a conviction for the charged offenses," the statement added.

Brown was expected to appear in court on Wednesday morning. Whether he has retained counsel is unclear. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years behind bars.

USA Today and the Detroit Free Press both reported that they were unable to reach Brown for comment.

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