Grand Rapids police apologist group, Voice for the Badge, endorses the statement “We will kill you graveyard dead” in regards to cops dealing with protesters

Three days ago, the GRPD apologist group Voice for the Badge, posted on their Facebook page an article about a Sheriff in Florida who made a statement recently regarding those protesting ICE.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey issued a harsh warning Thursday to protesters who use violence in his county: “Throw a brick, a firebomb or point a gun at one of our deputies, we will be notifying your family where to collect your remains at. Because we will kill you graveyard dead. We’re not going to play.”

The Voice for the Badge posted the following comment that accompanied the article from the Orlando Sentinel, stating: 

Tells it like it is and will be! Thank You to this amazing Sheriff for protecting his community, citizens and supporting his Deputies! 

Voice for the Badge is making it clear that they support cops killing people who engage in more militant forms of protest, and people who do not comply with orders from cops during protests. 

In some ways this is similar to what Chief Winstrom said a few days ago at his Press Conference, which was meant to dictate the narrative about what happened between GRPD cops and two Black men who dared to question what the GRPD was doing when they had stopped several Black youth at gunpoint. Winstrom said, Comply now, complain later.

I take what Winstrom means when he says, Comply now, complain later, tack hat his cops will not tolerate people who don’t obey the GRPD, people who are not compliant, and people who push back against policing practices in Grand Rapids.

Voice for the Badge is Johnny Brann Sr.

For anyone who has followed Voice for the Badge, you will know that the public face of the organization is Johnny Brann Sr. Johnny Brann Sr is also the only person who posts on the Facebook page of Voice for the Badge. 

Johnny Brann Sr is the owner of Brann’s Steakhouse on West Leonard in Grand Rapids, which also has pro-cop stuff up throughout the restaurant. Johnny Brann Sr has also contributed to political candidates in Grand Rapids in recent years, specifically those that are pro-cop. Here are the names of candidates and how much Johnny Brann Sr and his wife have contributed since the 2020 Election:

• David LaGrand – $1000 in 2024
• Dean Pacific – $2450 in 2024 
• John Krajewski – $2450 in 2024
• Andrew Robbins – $2100 in 2022

I have written about the racist and xenophobic nature of Voice for the Badge over the past 5 years, since the group formed after the nationwide George Floyd protests. Tommy Brann Sr. has a very simplistic view of cops, but it is a dangerous view, since he believes that cops are always right and that the public needs to obey them no matter what.