GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It's been two years since the death of Patrick Lyoya at the hands of former Grand Rapids Police Officer Christopher Schurr.
Around 8 a.m. on April 4, 2022, Schurr pulled over Lyoya, a 26-year-old refugee from the Congo.
Lyoya got out of his vehicle and disregarded Schurr's commands, leading to a brief physical struggle and fight over Schurr's taser. Lyoya was wrestled to the ground and was lying facedown when Schurr then shot Lyoya in the back of the head.
That struggle and Lyoya's death was caught on the officer's dash cam, body cam and video shot by the passenger in Patrick's car.
That same day, the investigation was turned over to Michigan State Police and city leaders gathered to tell the public what had happened.
In the two years since then, the community has called for justice. Schurr was charged and his trial has yet to begin after a slew of legal challenges.
Here's a look at what has happened in the past two years:
- April 13, 2022: A little more than a week after Lyoya's death, the dash cam, body cam and passenger video were released to the public.
- April 22, 2022: Lyoya was laid to rest alongside his family, friends, community members and civil rights leaders nearly three weeks after his death.
- April 25, 2022: After weeks of public pressure, GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom—who was just over a month into his role as chief—publicly identified Christopher Schurr as the officer involved in Lyoya's death.
- June 9, 2022: Schurr, who had been with the department since 2015, was charged with second-degree murder in Lyoya's death.
- June 10, 2022: Schurr was arraigned on the second-degree murder charge after he turned himself in in Calhoun County. Schurr bonded out, and a not-guilty plea was entered on his behalf. That same day, he was fired.
- June 21, 2022: Schurr's legal team appeared in court and waived the hearing, pushing it back to July 18.
- July 12, 2022: The legal team then asked the judge to push back a hearing to the end of August. They said a large amount of information gathering was still needed before the case went any further, and asked the judge for an adjournment of the July 18 preliminary exam hearing. The hearing was moved to Aug. 30.
- Aug. 18, 2022: A Kent County judge delayed the preliminary examination for Schurr for a second time. The judge ruled that the hearing would be adjourned without a date.
- Oct. 27, 2022: Schurr appeared in court in person for the first time seven months after Lyoya was killed. The prosecutor was tasked with presenting evidence to the judge through witness testimony, body camera and other video surveillance.
- Oct. 31, 2022: A Michigan judge decided Schurr would face a jury.
- Dec. 14, 2022: A trial date was set for Schurr. The date chosen was March 13, 2023.
- Feb. 10, 2023: A judge ruled that Schurr would face trial in October.
- July 11, 2023: Schurr's murder trial was put on pause. The court adjourned the final status conference and the jury trial in Schurr's case. The adjournment came as the Michigan Court of Appeals considered the defense's request for a leave to appeal.
- Sept. 6, 2023: The Michigan Court of Appeals heard arguments over the murder charge against Schurr.
- Jan. 25, 2024: The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that there is enough evidence for Schurr to stand trial for the murder of Lyoya.
- Feb. 15, 2024: Schurr's attorneys asked the appeals court to reconsider their findings.
- March 7, 2024: The court denied their appeal in a 2-1 vote.
Who was Patrick Lyoya?
Patrick Lyoya was relatively new to Grand Rapids. He and his family emigrated to West Michigan from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2015.
Peter Lyoya, Patrick's father, said he and his family left Central Africa in search of a safer life with more opportunities in America. Lyoya attended school in Lansing before moving to Grand Rapids.
Lyoya was a father of two, a brother and a son.
Peter Lyoya later spoke through an interpreter and said he wants justice for his son.
"The pain is so deep, the bitterness is so deep every time I think about my son leaving us," he said. "Amazingly, that man is still free. He is at home with his wife and children, while Patrick is buried. Patrick is dead."
Community reaction
In the weeks following Lyoya's death, the Grand Rapids community held multiple rallies calling for justice and to remember Lyoya. Gatherings were held almost daily around the city.
Some activists came in from other cities—even other states.
"I marched from Minneapolis to Washington DC, so I’m very familiar with the police and their tactics," said Cortez Rice, who came in from Minnesota to provide guidance and advice to the Grand Rapids community.
"Enough always has been enough," Rice said. "The people are tired. We don’t want to have to keep on doing this, we don’t want to have to say other people's names again."
There were also gatherings held to celebrate Lyoya's life, like a block party and a cookout, which acted as peaceful means to remember him and continue to call for change.
"It feels friendly, it feels welcoming," said Deandre Jones, a community activist. "You see everybody feels comfortable, regardless. There’s homeless people coming and getting food, people who didn’t know where their next meal is going to come from. It’s good to see this was offered here."
Some activists attended city commission meetings to demand justice, causing multiple meetings to be adjourned early.
Despite the tension between the community and the Grand Rapids Police Department, Chief Winstrom said he was proud of the way his officers worked to keep the peace in the face of outrage.
What comes next?
Kent County Prosecutor Christopher Becker expects Schurr to also appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court. It is unclear when Schurr will appear in court next or when the trial is expected to begin.
On Thursday, a candlelight vigil will be held outside the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids to "remind the city that we have not forgotten and we won't stop fighting for Patrick". It begins at 6:30 p.m.
On Saturday, a march will be held at Fish Ladder Park at 2 p.m.
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