UPDATE
May 8, 2025 4:45 PM CDT
A judge declared a mistrial Thursday after a Michigan jury couldn't reach a unanimous verdict in the second-degree murder trial of a police officer who shot Patrick Lyoya, a Congolese immigrant, in the back of the head during a traffic stop in 2022. The result came at the start of the fourth day of deliberations and was a partial victory for Christopher Schurr, who still could face another trial, the AP reports. The killing of Lyoya, a 26-year-old father of two, sparked weeks of protests in Grand Rapids, especially after the city's police chief released video of the confrontation. Schurr shot Lyoya while on top of the man, who was facedown on the ground. Schurr told jurors he feared for his life after losing control of his Taser during an intense struggle.
Jun 9, 2022 4:30 PM CDT
The Michigan police officer who killed Patrick Lyoya, a Black man, with a shot to the back of his head has been charged with second-degree murder. Prosecutor Chris Becker announced charges Thursday against Grand Rapids officer Christopher Schurr, weeks after Lyoya was killed following a chaotic traffic stop on April 4. The 26-year-old Lyoya was on the ground when he was killed, the AP reports. The shooting was recorded on video by a bystander. "The death was not justified or excused ... by self defense," Becker said, referring to an element of second-degree murder.
Schurr, who is white, told Lyoya that he stopped his car because the license plate didn't match the vehicle. Roughly a minute into the stop, Lyoya began to run after he was asked to produce a driver's license. Schurr caught him quickly, and the two struggled across a front lawn. The officer demanded that Lyoya "let go" of Schurr's Taser before he fired the fatal shot. Becker said he consulted experts from outside Michigan about the use of force in the case. Attorney Ven Johnson in Detroit, with at least one member of Lyoya's family present, said the prosecutor called Johnson and the family about two minutes before making the announcement that the officer is being charged. "You will not see any celebration on behalf of the Lyoya family," Johnson said.
story continues below
The Grand Rapids police chief released video from four sources on April 13. Attorneys for Lyoya's family have called the death an execution. Schurr has been a police officer since 2015. His personnel file shows no complaints of excessive force but much praise for traffic stops and foot chases that led to arrests and the seizure of guns and drugs. The shooting turned into an immediate crisis for police Chief Eric Winstrom, who was a commander in Chicago before taking charge in Grand Rapids early in March. At a community forum in April, Winstrom said he wanted to put more emphasis on officers knowing how to turn down the heat during tense situations.
(More
Patrick Lyoya stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
