Detroit officer accused of fatally punching 71-year-old man charged with manslaughter

A police officer was charged with manslaughter for allegedly punching a 71-year-old man who prosecutors say then fell and hit his head and later died from his injuries.

A Detroit police officer was charged with manslaughter for allegedly punching a 71-year-old man who prosecutors say then fell and hit his head and died from his injuries several weeks later.

Juwan Marquise-Alexander Brown, 29, pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Wednesday morning. Brown said only his name during the hearing, which was conducted over Zoom. The magistrate entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

The charge stems from an incident that occurred the evening of Sept. 1 while Brown was on duty. He had been dispatched to a Detroit bowling alley following a call that the victim -- Daryl Vance, of Detroit -- was being "disorderly," the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said.

A "verbal confrontation" between Brown and Vance "escalated," and the officer allegedly punched the victim in the face, causing him to fall and hit his head on the pavement, the prosecutor's office said.