x
Breaking News
More () »

One month later: Here's where the investigation into Patrick Lyoya's shooting death stands

Grand Rapids Police Officer Christopher Schurr shot and killed Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop on April 4, 2022. Here's a look at what's happened since:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It's been one month since a Grand Rapids Police officer shot and killed Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop. 

The shooting happened Monday, April 4 just after 8 a.m. near the intersection of Griggs Street and Nelson Avenue SE in Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom recently identified Christopher Schurr as the GRPD officer who pulled the trigger. 

The Michigan State Police's investigation into the shooting remains incomplete, however, detectives sent over their partial findings to the Kent County Prosecutor's Office. 

The Michigan State Police told 13 ON YOUR SIDE Wednesday that detectives have not yet received forensic data back from the manufacturers of the taser and body camera.

Once received, those reports will be sent to the Kent County Prosecutor.

Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker says he will not make a final decision on the case until he has all of the evidence.

RELATED: Kent County Prosecutor weighs in on Patrick Lyoya killing investigation

GRPD has also launched an Internal Affairs investigation to determine whether all applicable departmental policies were followed.  

Credit: AP
This undated photo provided by Ben Crump Law shows Patrick Lyoya. The union representing police officers in a Michigan city is defending the officer who shot Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head. Lyoya's death is "tragic," the Grand Rapids Police Officers Association said, but an "officer has the legal right to protect themselves and community in a volatile dangerous situation such as this, in order to return to his/her family at the end of their shift."(photo courtesy of Ben Crump Law via AP)

RELATED: Personnel record: Officer who killed Lyoya had awards, complaints in file

Lyoya's family laid him to rest in Grand Rapids, with renowned civil rights activist Al Sharpton delivering the eulogy.

Authorities recently released several angles of video that capture the incident: body-worn camera, in-car video, a neighbor’s doorbell video and cellphone video the passenger of Lyoya's car recorded. 

That cellphone video captures the moment the officer shoots Lyoya. 

After Lyoya’s death, community members have been gathering to protest the actions of the GRPD officer and to demand justice.  

The GRPD officer who pulled the trigger, identified as Christopher Schurr, is currently on paid leave, stripped of his police powers, pending the outcome of this investigation.

The union that represents police officers in Grand Rapids said they're backing Officer Schurr.  

Credit: AP
Grand Rapids Police Officer Christopher Schurr stops to talk with a resident, Wednesday, August 12, 2015, in Grand Rapids, Mich. Grand Rapids police have identified Schurr as the officer who killed Patrick Lyoya three weeks ago. Lyoya was a Black man and native of Congo who was fatally shot in the back of the head after a struggle with the officer. Police Chief Eric Winstrom had declined to name the officer but changed course Monday, April 25, 2022. He says he's doing it in the "interest of transparency" and to reduce speculation. (Emily Rose Bennett/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)

Lyoya’s family retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Michigan-based attorney Ven Johnson to represent them.  

Activists, the family and the Grand Rapids chapter of the NAACP are calling on GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom to immediately fire Officer Schurr and are also demanding that Kent County Prosecutor Christopher Becker hand over the case to the Michigan Attorney General’s office.  

Lawyers for the family of Patrick Lyoya recently shared their findings of an independent autopsy performed by forensic pathology expert Dr. Werner Spitz.

RELATED: Patrick Lyoya's 2nd autopsy shows he died from a gunshot wound to the back of his head

He concluded that Lyoya died as the result of a single gunshot wound that entered the back of his skull near the midline. He says he believed the gun was pressed to the back of Lyoya's head when the bullet traveled up to the right side of his skull and lodged near his right temporal bone.  

Dr. Spitz said there was no other injury on Lyoya's body other than the fatal gunshot wound.

The City of Grand Rapids recently addressed the death of Lyoya in budget proposal by increasing funding to the city's Office of Oversight and Public Accountability. The increase in funding will give staff members a bigger role in the city's police training and policies. 

City Manager Mark Washington said the plan was influenced by "recent events," referencing the police shooting death of Patrick Lyoya, as well as community input. 

   

Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.

Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Before You Leave, Check This Out