Michigan chief IDs officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya
An undated photo of Patrick Lyoya (Courtesy of Lyoya family)
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(NewsNation) — The Grand Rapids Police Department on Monday identified Christopher Schurr as the officer involved in the April 4 shooting that killed 26-year-old Congo native Patrick Lyoya.
Schurr will remain on administrative leave, stripped of his police powers, until Michigan State Police finish their investigation into potential criminal charges, according to a news release. An internal investigation will determine whether Schurr followed department, Grand Rapids Police Chef Eric Winstrom said.
The police department is expected this week to release public documents related to the shooting, which happened during a traffic stop.
Video footage of the incident showed the white officer struggling with Lyoya, a Black man, before the weapon was fired.
“In the interest of transparency, to reduce ongoing speculation, and to avoid any further confusion, I am confirming the name already publicly circulating — Christopher Schurr — as the officer involved in the April 4 officer-involved shooting,” Winstrom said in a statement.
In the aftermath of the shooting and the release of video, Winstrom said he would withhold the officer’s name unless he was charged with a crime. It was described as a long-standing practice that applied to the public as well as city employees.
The officer is heard saying that Lyoya’s license plate didn’t match the car. When Lyoya declined to get back into the vehicle as ordered, and a short foot chase ensued and the pair struggled on a lawn briefly.
An independent autopsy confirmed that Lyoya was shot in the back of the head while facedown on the ground, lawyers for the man’s family said.
Lyoya wasn’t armed. The officer was on top of him and could be heard on video demanding that he take his hand off a police Taser.
The man’s family and Black leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, repeatedly called for transparency and release of the officer’s name.
“We want his name!” Sharpton shouted at Lyoya’s funeral on Friday, saying authorities cannot set a precedent of withholding the names of officers who kill people unless the officer is charged.
