GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Since Wednesday, when city officials released deadly police shooting videos showing Patrick Lyoya laying on the ground with a police officer on his back pulling his service weapon, shooting Lyoya to death, people have come downtown and gathered to voice their frustrations with the shooting.
Throughout the years across the nation, Americans have witnessed police killing unarmed Black people. Now, the national spotlight is shining down on Grand Rapids.
Many in West Michigan are wondering, what happens next? How does this community heal and move forward? The city has been on edge since Wednesday, as tensions are boiling, and frustrations are mounting.
Kent County Commissioner Robert Womack has been very outspoken about the deadly police shooting. He attended the emotional press conference on Thursday, as the nation heard from Lyoya’s parents for the first time. Womack said the only way this community can move forward is justice and accountability.
“The next thing is to wait for the Kent County Prosecutor to see if he's going to bring charges,” said Womack, as he spoke to 13 ON YOUR SIDE in a one-on-one interview. “And if not, we will continue on to the attorney general, to the federal level and to the Department of Justice. We will not let this go!”
Womack also spoke about the lack of transparency the city of Grand Rapids has shown since the deadly police shooting. He said it wasn’t until Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump came to town that the city started to be more transparent.
Chief Eric Winstrom, who’s only been on the job for less than 40 days, is dealing with one of his officers shooting and killing an unarmed Black man.
Winstrom, who comes from Chicago as a 20-year vet with Chicago Police, knows all too well about dealing with deadly police shootings.
Womack said he wants the chief to call out the officer who shot and killed Lyoya and name every mistake he made in his encounter with the 26-year-old.
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