GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Former Grand Rapids Police Officer Christopher Schurr will face trial in October, a judge ruled Friday.
An issue came up with Judge Christina Elmore, Judge Mark Trusock of the 17th Circuit Court said, so he presided over the hearing.
Matthew Borgula, one of Schurr's attorneys, explained to the judge that one of the members of their trial team recently died, and his co-counsel also recently lost an immediate family member.
In addition, Borgula told the judge his team needs to mull over more than 30,000 pages of files in the case.
Kent County Prosecutor Christopher Becker did not oppose the motion to adjourn the case.
The trial was originally set for March, but the judge agreed to move it back to start on Oct. 24.
"No one likes them less than I do, and neither does Judge Elmore, but there are times when they are necessary," Judge Trusock said.
"Everybody needs to get this case resolved, both the parties, the family members, the defendant, this community...there should be no further adjournments."
Ven Johnson, who is representing the family of Patrick Lyoya in a separate civil lawsuit against Schurr and the City of Grand Rapids, shared this statement:
"As much as the Lyoya family wishes the case would move to trial as quickly as possible so that Christopher Schurr can be held criminally responsible, the family also respects the American legal system and understands the judicial process takes time. We trust Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker is doing everything in his power to bring Schurr to justice, and we thank him and his team for their continued efforts."
Schurr is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Patrick Lyoya back on April 4, 2022. Schurr was captured on cellphone video shooting Lyoya in the back of the head following a traffic stop.
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