GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — UPDATE 4/5/2022 4:50 p.m.: The man who was fatally shot has been identified as 26-year-old Patrick Lyoya.
Body camera footage is expected to be released next week.
UPDATE 4/4/2022 4:50 p.m.: New details to the shooting were provided in an afternoon press conference with Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom on Monday.
Chief Winstrom says that the victim in the shooting is believed to be a 26-year-old Black man. The officer is white and was hired in 2015. The identities of the victim and officer have not been disclosed at this time.
The officer has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigations.
Authorities said in the press conference that after the vehicle was pulled over, the victim exited the car and after initial contact with the officer, the victim fled on foot.
The officer followed on foot and a physical altercation between the officer and victim took place. After a several-minute struggle, the officer fired his weapon and struck the individual, who died from his injuries.
It was noted that the officer did have his taser at the time of the incident but did not use it.
“These types of incidents are tragic and traumatic for everyone involved,” said Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington. “While it has been a very long time since our community was forced to navigate a situation such as this, we’ve done the work up front to establish policies and procedures that ensure a transparent and just process.”
There are multiple sources of camera footage of the event including body-worn camera footage, in-car camera footage as well as video from private sources that were made available to Michigan State Police and Grand Rapids Police.
The body camera was dislodged from the officer during the incident, but remained on the scene.
“It is early in the investigation, so understandably, there are questions,” said GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom. “I am committed to providing information as transparently and quickly as the investigation allows. In addition to MSP’s investigation, this has been referred to our Internal Affairs unit for a full review. We are also working with the City’s Office of Oversight and Public Accountability. In the coming days, I will be making efforts to reach out to the driver’s family, as well as the officer and his family as this was a traumatic event for everyone.”
“My prayers go out to everyone impacted by today’s incident. These situations are tragic and can be traumatizing. We have more questions than answers at this point but, we also have the systems in place to respond,” said Rosalynn Bliss, Grand Rapids Mayor. “I understand how emotional this is and recognize the frustrations many in our community might feel. I ask everyone in our community to respect the process and allow the investigators to do their work before reaching any conclusions.”
The Grand Rapids Police Department internal affairs unit will begin investigating the incident after the Michigan State Police criminal investigation concludes. The Office of Oversight and Public Accountability will monitor the investigations and review any findings.
Watch Monday's afternoon press conference here:
ORIGINAL STORY:
A person is dead after an officer-involved shooting Monday morning, Grand Rapids Police Department says.
At a press conference Monday morning, Police Chief Eric Winstrom said the incident happened during a traffic stop near Griggs and Nelson around 8 a.m.
The driver exited the vehicle and a struggle ensued with the officer. The officer discharged his weapon, killing the driver.
The driver might have been pulled over because the license plate doesn't belong to the car, but police are still investigating, Winstrom said.
Winstrom said the officer's body camera came off during the struggle with the driver, but the camera is still on scene and activated, and the footage will be reviewed. Family will be showed the footage before it is released, Winstrom says.
There was another occupant in the car at the time, police say.
Michigan State Police were called in to investigate the incident. GRPD says they're canvassing and talking to witnesses.
The officer has been taken to the hospital for precautionary assessment. Winstrom confirmed he was not shot during the incident and is suffering non-life threatening injuries.
The other occupant of the vehicle was not injured and is being talked to by police.
The driver will not be identified at this time, but Winstrom says he was an adult male.
This is a breaking news story. 13 ON YOUR SIDE will provide updates as soon as we learn more.
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