Patrick Lyoya

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A police officer was charged with second-degree murder for shooting a Black man in the back of the head during an April traffic stop, ...

“This is not just an issue that affects the state of Michigan. This is an issue that affects all humanity. “What is so surprising and astonishing is that I lost my son here, in America.” The Lyoya family had come a long way in search of stability. The police department has been accused of racial bias, and several recent incidents have sparked widespread anger, including two 2017 cases in which officers drew guns on Black youths between the ages of 12 and 14 and handcuffed an 11-year-old girl. They described it as difficult to watch, with Lyoya’s brother, Thomas, calling it “the most horrifying thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” Schurr was also cited twice for minor issues, such as damaging a police car, but did not face discipline, according to the Detroit Free Press. He said he hoped it sent a message to the public that “we take these cases seriously.” Lyoya’s parents, who had demanded justice for a killing they said amounted to an execution, were informed of the charge before the public announcement. We have a duty to enforce the law, be it on police or the public.” After a brief exchange over whether Lyoya had a license and spoke English, Lyoya closed the car door and started walking away. The local police union did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The shooting, seen by many as another example of police using excessive force against Black men, heightened tensions between officers and the Black community in Grand Rapids, where police for years have been accused of mistreating people of color.

The Michigan prosecutor reviewing the shooting death of Patrick Lyoya, a Black man who was killed by a White Grand Rapids police officer following a ...

A police department review of the shooting could result in a far wider review of Schurr and whether he broke department policies leading up to, during and after the shooting, and look at other officers and policies that may have contributed to the shooting. That office released the autopsy findings to media after it was given to the prosecutor's office. After the shooting, the president of the Greater Grand Rapids NAACP, Cle Jackson, called for Becker to recuse himself from the investigation, and for the Michigan Attorney General to take over the case. Becker's review, and subsequent charging decision, is separate from the police department's review of Schurr's conduct during the shooting. A supervisor, over police radio, said he was "on scene" about five minutes after the initial stop. He said the job of prosecutors is to review cases like this for potential charges. He had three open warrants at the time of the traffic stop, according to a CNN review of state records. A CNN review of the documents gives a clearer picture of what happened when Lyoya was shot and killed and what prosecutors considered as they weighed whether to pursue charges against Schurr. "I recognize the investigation appears to be moving painstakingly slowly," Becker said in a media release last month. The city has a history of tension between Black residents and police. "The elements of second degree murder are relatively simple," Becker said during a news conference Thursday. "First, there was a death, a death done by the defendant. The medical examiner in the county turned over an autopsy in early May after rushing toxicology tests, the prosecutor said.

A Michigan police officer who killed Patrick Lyoya with a shot to the back of the 26-year-old Black man's head has been charged with second-degree murder.

Lyoya was on the ground when he was killed. Roughly a minute into the stop, Lyoya began to run after he was asked to produce a driver’s license. A bystander recorded the shooting on cellphone video.

Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr, who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya on April 4, has been charged with one count of second-degree murder.

"I recognize that this is a never-ending process and will require active engagement and participation of the entire community if we want to make that a reality." Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss said the city will continue to evaluate its policing standards in the wake of the shooting. Schurr eventually tackled Lyoya, the two struggled and Schurr could be heard telling Lyoya to "stop" and to "let go of the Taser,” in the footage. The charging decision coming two months after Lyoya’s shooting was a product of wanting to be thorough in a review of the case, Becker said. After about 90 seconds, Schurr was on top of Lyoya, who was facedown on the ground. Lyoya, who was 26 at the time of his shooting, was a Congolese refugee.

Patrick Lyoya was fatally shot by a white Grand Rapids officer during a traffic stop, renewing a national debate about police conduct and use of force.

And in 2020, local outlets reported, an officer was suspended for two days after shooting a protester in the face with a gas canister. At the time of his death, Mr. Lyoya was on probation, his driver’s license was revoked and there were two warrants out for his arrest, including one for a domestic violence charge three days earlier. “There’s a lot of people that think this should not be charged,” he added, “and so I’m very mindful of that.” “The general consensus is, I think, that there’s a huge amount of community pressure that thinks I should charge him — and if I don’t charge, something’s going to happen,” Mr. Becker said. Mr. Becker said he had waited to finalize a decision until after the completion of a Michigan State Police investigation, which he was presented with last week. He held a range of jobs over the years, including at a turkey processor and an auto parts manufacturer. Chief Winstrom said he would submit a letter to the city manager recommending that Officer Schurr be suspended without pay, a step toward possible termination. But Mr. Lyoya had struggled since arriving in Michigan. He had been arrested more than a dozen times, mostly for misdemeanors involving cars, and he also faced three charges for domestic violence. Other cameras — from the officer’s vehicle, a nearby doorbell security system and a bystander’s cellphone — capture different portions of the encounter. At one point, body camera footage shows Mr. Lyoya grasping for the Taser in Officer Schurr’s hand. The law allows police officers to use deadly force when they have a reasonable fear of death or great bodily harm. It remains relatively rare for American police officers to face charges for on-duty killings, though such cases have become more common in recent years amid public outcry over police conduct and the proliferation of cameras that can either confirm or conflict with an officer’s account.

Officer Christopher Schurr fatally shot Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop in April.

“Officer Schurr must be held accountable for his decision to pursue an unarmed Patrick, ultimately shooting him in the back of the head and killing him – for nothing more than a traffic stop.” An autopsy set up by Lyoya’s family’s legal team, as well as the state’s official autopsy, found Lyoya died of a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. Becker said last month he needed “additional expert guidance” before deciding whether to bring criminal charges against Schurr, noting he recognized “the investigation appears to be moving painstakingly slowly.”

Prosecutor Chris Becker announced charges Thursday against Grand Rapids Officer Christopher Schurr, weeks after Patrick Lyoya was killed.

"This is going to be a difficult time for the police department," he said after the murder charge was announced. We have a duty to enforce the law. He informed Lyoya's parents about the charge before holding a news conference and also sent a letter in Swahili, their native language. "We strongly believed there was no justice in America, until today," Peter Lyoya said. Schurr, who is white, told Lyoya that he stopped his car because the license plate didn't match the vehicle. Kent County prosecutor Chris Becker announced his decision against Grand Rapids Officer Christopher Schurr, who killed Lyoya minutes after a traffic stop on April 4.

Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said Schurr has turned himself in and will be arraigned tomorrow.

Schurr told Lyoya that he stopped his car because the license plate didn't match the vehicle. Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said Schurr has turned himself in and will be arraigned tomorrow. A police officer in Michigan has been charged with second-degree murder, following a shooting of Patrick Lyoya that took place on April 4.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — (GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.) -- The prosecutor in Kent County, Michigan, has decided to charge Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr ...

“He’s on his hands and knees facing away from the officer. Schurr can be heard asking Lyoya if he spoke English and then demanding that Lyoya show his driver's license. The officer grabbed Lyoya and struggled with him before Schurr eventually forced him to the ground and shouted, "Stop resisting," "let go" and "drop the Taser.” Police said Lyoya had grabbed at the officer's stun gun during the altercation.

Peter Lyoya's interpreter, Israel Siku, described the recent White House visit following the decision to charge a Grand Rapids police officer in his son's ...

Video of the encounter, in which an officer shot Lyoya in the head after a struggle during a traffic stop, sparked national outrage and calls for the ...

"While the road to justice for Patrick and his family has just begun, this decision is a crucial step in the right direction," Crump said. The videos released by police included the officer's body worn camera, the dashcam from the officer's car, surveillance video from a house across the street and cell phone video captured by a passenger in the car. At the time of the shooting, the body worn camera had been deactivated, the surveillance video was from a considerable distance and the cell phone was often pointed at the ground instead of the officer and Lyoya. When instructed to get his license from the car, Lyoya appears to ask a passenger to get it, and then tries to walk towards the passenger side of the car. The officer is then seen telling Lyoya to stop and grabbing him. Officials in Kent County, Michigan, announced Thursday that a second-degree murder charge has been filed against the officer who fatally shot 26-year-old Patrick Lyoya on April 4.

Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr has been charged with second degree murder for the death of Patrick Lyoya, 26, during a traffic stop in April.

We are confident that after a jury hears all of the evidence, Officer Schurr will be exonerated." Mr. Lyoya gained full control of a police officer’s weapon while resisting arrest, placing Officer Schurr in fear of great bodily harm or death. Lyoya was shot in the back of the head, according to the Kent County medical examiner.

On Thursday, the officer, Christopher Schurr, who is white, was charged with second-degree murder. Per the New York Times, Schurr's Taser and gun were the only ...

“We demand that the officer who killed Patrick not only be terminated for his use of excessive and fatal force, but be arrested and prosecuted for the violent killing of Patrick Lyoya.” “The video clearly shows that this was an unnecessary, excessive, and fatal use of force against an unarmed Black man who was confused by the encounter and terrified for his life,” it read. The Grand Rapids Police Officers Association defended Schurr, calling the case “tragic” and suggesting he had acted in self-defense. Police said his plates weren’t registered to his car and that a struggle ensued when he ran away from Schurr. During the course of their fight, the department said, Schurr shot Lyoya. But footage of the encounter tells a more complicated story. When the two men find themselves face-to-face, Schurr removes his Taser; Lyoya grabs it and shunts it away from his body, then falls onto the grass. Schurr wrestles Lyoya to the ground, then maneuvers him across the lawn. Footage from the cop car’s camera shows a man — Lyoya — exiting his driver’s-side door after he pulls over on a residential street; Schurr shouts at Lyoya to “Stay in the car” as he approaches. “When I saw the video, it was painful to watch, and I immediately asked, ‘What caused this to happen?’” he said. “Me personally, I want, first, justice to be done for Patrick,” Peter told MLive. “I am the parent. “And ‘What more could have been done to prevent this from occurring?’” Following an investigation and two months of protests, Schurr surrendered on Thursday and will likely be arraigned on Friday, according to a prosecutor in Kent County, Michigan. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison. Grand Rapids Police Department chief Eric Winstrom reportedly described the shooting as a “tragedy” and said he planned to “look into” it but did not offer further comment at the time. He was the eldest of six children and had two young kids of his own, ages 2 and 3.