GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Many 'Justice for Patrick Lyoya' activists are in attendance of Tuesday night's Grand Rapids City Commission meeting, making their voices heard to city officials.
The meeting was adjourned by Mayor Rosalynn Bliss during public comment as protesters became unruly, nearly two hours in.
Previously, two of the city commission meetings have been cut short by similar demonstrations.
City commissioners' homes were vandalized overnight on May 15. Police say they are collecting evidence like surveillance camera footage and witness statements.
A 13 ON YOUR SIDE crew at the scene of a commissioner's home on Grand Rapids' northwest side reports the vandalism includes spray paint on the driveway reading "Abolish police" and "Defund GRPD".
There are also bricks on the property wrapped in newspaper articles covering Patrick Lyoya's death with the phrase "Blood is on your hands" written on it.
The demonstration at the meeting comes over a month after the Grand Rapids Police Department announced the name of the person who shot and killed Lyoya, identifying him as officer Christopher Schurr, and about seven weeks since Lyoya was killed.
Activists at the meeting are frustrated that the city was focusing funds on downtown developments and the Grand Rapids Police Department rather than on the community.
Lyoya was killed Monday, April 4 during a traffic stop near the intersection of Griggs Street and Nelson Avenue SE in Grand Rapids.
Authorities said a GRPD officer initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle with a faulty license plate. Lyoya, who was driving the vehicle, fled from police on foot.
After a physical struggle with the officer, Lyoya was shot and killed.
Officer Schurr remains on administrative leave. He has been stripped of his police powers until the conclusion of the Michigan State Police investigation into potential criminal charges.
Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker says he will not make a final decision on the case until he has all of the evidence. On May 18, Becker asked for patience as the investigation is still ongoing.
"After receiving the partial investigative report from the MSP on April 28, 2022, I have been in regular contact with their investigators, and I have provided follow-up questions regarding the initial documentation," Becker said in a statement on May 18.
"However, while reviewing the material that has been provided thus far, I determined that additional expert guidance – beyond the scope of the MSP – is needed in order for me to make a fully informed decision. I have begun to seek this expert guidance."
The prosecutor declined to interview or discuss the case further.
MSP is still awaiting a manufacturer's report on Officer Christopher Schurr's body camera and taser that were used during the incident on April 4.
Detectives sent over their partial findings to the Kent County Prosecutor's Office on April 28.
Since then, 13 ON YOUR SIDE has received multiple documents through a Freedom of Information Act request, including nearly an hour of audio recordings between police and first responders, as well as reports filed about the Grand Rapids Police Department officer-involved shooting on April 4.
Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker had previously stated that he would not make a final decision on the case until receiving all of the evidence.
GRPD has launched an Internal Affairs investigation to determine whether all applicable departmental policies were followed.
The union that represents police officers in Grand Rapids said they're backing Officer Schurr.
After Lyoya’s death, community members have been gathering to protest the actions of the GRPD officer and to demand justice.
Ben Crump, one of the attorneys representing the Lyoya family, has demanded that the Kent County Prosecutor announce charges against the GRPD officer by May 25.
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