GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Greater Grand Rapids Branch of the NAACP shared their new list of demands Tuesday in regards to the investigation into the fatal shooting of Patrick Lyoya.
Cle Jackson, the President of the Greater Grand Rapids Branch of the NAACP, is demanding that the Kent County Prosecutor recuse himself from the investigation into the shooting death of Patrick Lyoya at the hands of a Grand Rapids Police officer.
On Monday, GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom said officer Christopher Schurr was the officer involved.
Cle Jackson says the Kent County Prosecutor has too many conflicts of interest to handle the investigation. 13 ON YOUR SIDE received a statement from Kent County Prosecutor Christopher Becker while Jackson was speaking.
Becker says "Because I do not know Officer Christopher Schurr, nor did I know Patrick Lyoya, the legal standard for recusal has not been met. I will continue to follow the law regarding this investigation, and I will wait for the report from the Michigan State Police to review the case in light of the law and the facts."
Becker cited Michigan Penal Code MCL 49.160. "A conflict of interest exists where the prosecutor has a prior attorney-client relationship with the person, or where the prosecutor has a personal interest (financial or emotional) in the litigation, or has some personal relationship (kinship, friendship, or animosity) with the accused or another party. People v Doyle, 159 Mich App 632, 641 (1987)."
Jackson is also demanding that Attorney General Dana Nessel take up the investigation, which he says is completely within her jurisdiction and legality to do so.
AG Nessel previously said if the case were referred to her office, she would take it.
13 ON YOUR SIDE reached out to her office Tuesday for a statement, and received this:
"It is my expectation that the Grand Rapids Police Department will fully cooperate with the Michigan State Police in their investigation and that the local prosecutor will perform a thorough analysis of the facts and law that apply in this case. Normal protocol dictates the case is delivered to the local prosecutor. I stand ready to accept a referral of the case, should the Kent County Prosecutor determine the expertise of my department is warranted.”
Jackson also demanded that GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom immediately fire Officer Christopher Schurr, whose name was recently released to the public. In addition to the termination of Schurr, Jackson demands that Winstrom start the decertification process of Officer Schurr, preventing him from serving as a police officer in the state of Michigan in the future.
Watch the full video here.
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