GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The investigation into the killing of Patrick Lyoya by a Grand Rapids Police Officer is ongoing, currently being conducted by the Michigan State Police. Immediately after the news of Patrick's killing came out, calls for the release of body and dash camera footage of the incident became clear from the community.
It took more than a week for that video to be released, and the name of the officer involved has not yet been confirmed. Some community members have called this a failure in terms of transparency by the city and the police department.
13 ON YOUR SIDE sat down with the man responsible for improving accountability and transparency for Grand Rapids: Brandon Davis. Davis is the director of the Office of Oversight and Public Accountability (OPA).
Once the MSP investigation is turned over to the city of Grand Rapids, Davis and OPA step in. They will conduct audits to make sure the investigation is done fairly and without bias.
"Part of why my office exists is because there has been concern about police policing police," Davis said. He went on to say he does not believe MSP conducting the investigation is inappropriate. "We’re not seeking to protect anyone, we’re not seeking to do anything to cause someone harm. We’re seeking truth, that’s our job."
Davis and OPA will go further than just surface level to evaluate the entire incident of Patrick Lyoya's killing.
They've already been involved in updating and revamping the GRPD use of force policy, as well as developing an updated surveillance policy in partnership with the NAACP.
"We’ll look at our use of force policies, we’ll look at our policies around officer-involved shootings, our policies around traffic stops," Davis said. "We have to evaluate those types of things, do the studies around those things to make sure we’re moving forward in a way that best serves Grand Rapidians."
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