Latest news with #ChristopherSchurr
CBS News
29-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Patrick Lyoya's family speaks out after Kent County prosecutor's decision to not pursue retrial
The family of Patrick Lyoya, the 26-year-old immigrant who was shot and killed by a police officer in Grand Rapids three years ago, is speaking out after Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker decided not to pursue a retrial last week. The original trial ended in a hung jury earlier this month. Both parents say they're still left broken after the jury was unable to come to a unanimous decision on former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr's second-degree murder charge, but they say there's still hope for justice with the civil trial that might still be a couple of years away. "My heart was broken because I was in so much pain," said Dorcas Lyoya. Those are the emotions of Patrick Lyoya's mother spoken through the family's interpreter after realizing there won't be a retrial for the former Grand Rapids police officer charged with second-degree murder of her son. "Since the first one, we didn't get the right justice that we were looking for; maybe the second trial, we would find we'll get the justice we're looking for, but this decision really broke me," she said. Grand Rapids police body camera footage from April 2022 sparked protests and opinions about whether the use of deadly force was justified. The jury couldn't agree unanimously, resulting in a mistrial, but Lyoya's father says his son's legacy will forever haunt Schurr. "All the rest of his life, the blood of my son will be hanging on his head. He will walk the rest of his life with the blood of Patrick on his head," Patrick Lyoya said. Attorneys claim that not pursuing a criminal retrial won't have a legal impact on the civil suit. They suggest they might even have an edge now that Schurr no longer qualifies for Fifth Amendment claims. "People can plead the Fifth Amendment because they can say, 'I have the possibility of criminal charges hovering over me, and I don't want to testify.' He can't do that now because the criminal case is done. And so we're going to have an opportunity to depose him and to once again put on the record why it was he felt it was necessary to take an unarmed, not dangerous, not threatening individual's life that day," said attorney Chris Desmond. Desmond says there is a different circumstance to prove under a different standard in the civil case than the one Becker had to reach in the criminal case, so their goal looks different than the case that resulted in a hung jury. After everything we just learned and everything that was shared in the criminal case, attorneys say the civil case is essentially starting from scratch. The civil case will start with a Rule 16 scheduling conference on June 17. Attorneys estimate the start of a civil trial is at least two years away.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Decision not to retry former police officer sparks outrage among Grand Rapids residents
Demonstrators gathered outside the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids to rally against the decision not to retry Christopher Schurr. May 22, 2025 | Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz 'No Justice, No Peace' and 'Justice for Patrick' chants were heard again in downtown Grand Rapids Thursday, as community members gathered to demand justice for Patrick Lyoya and accountability for Grand Rapids police. Dozens of demonstrators rallied with signs in hand at the doors of the Kent County Courthouse to share their frustration and anger against the decision by Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker not to seek a second trial against former Grand Rapids Police officer Christopher Schurr. Schurr was charged with second-degree murder and later fired from the police force after fatally shooting Lyoya, a Black Congolese refugee, in the back of the head while he was facing the ground following a traffic stop on April 4, 2022. The confrontation escalated into a struggle when Lyoya tried to flee after failing to produce a driver's license. During the announcement of his decision, Becker noted his decision was based on the fact that 'there was never a majority for a guilty verdict' among the 12 jurors, whom he interviewed after the mistrial was declared May 8. Thursday's 'emergency rally' was organized by organizations including the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Oppression, demanding a retrial on the Schurr case. 'I'm going to be very clear in saying that if the Grand Rapids City Commission is not willing to listen to us and reform the police, there may be a time for us to escalate. That doesn't mean being violent, but it does mean maybe we need to disrupt the way that things are done in this city,' said Ivan Diaz, 27, a Michigan State senate candidate. The rally was just the latest outlet for members of the public to vent their anger. Days after the mistrial, community members gave passionate comments at the Grand Rapids City Commission meeting, demanding justice for Lyoya and accountability over police actions. Additionally, on May 15, the NAACP organized a community listening session where residents expressed their experiences with police abuse and their outrage over the mistrial. 'I am going to keep showing up with everyone of you until we get the changes that we need. Because if we don't, one of us, or one of our family members or friends, we will continue to be at risk of becoming Mother Patrick, Mother Rowley, Mother Sammy,' Erykai Cage, 44, said during her speech. As the rally continued, more people began to approach the crowd, including Grand Rapids Mayor David LaGrand and Kent County Commissioner Robert S. Womack. However, only Womack stayed and took the microphone to address the public, while LaGrand limited himself to speaking to a few media members and some demonstrators around the crowd before leaving. 'What you have seen is supposed to be a trial. But what it has come down to is a test of our resilience. Does Grand Rapids go back to business as usual? Do the politicians who refuse to help change the policies and laws surrounding police and community relations, do they go back to business as usual? We have to be resilient,' Womack told the crowd. Womack's speech raised concerns among the audience about the absence of other politicians, with people asking why other commissioners weren't present. 'The only thing they care about is their careers. They do not care about anything else. And if you want to test me, you can say, 'Hey, maybe Commissioner Womack is just saying that.' Okay, then where the hell are they right now?' Womack said. Before the rally ended, the demonstrators chanted pro-Lyoya slogans and held up their signs. There was little police presence around the rally, and no counter protesters, so the gathering ended without incident. 'To me, this is personal because I'm a Black mother, and these children are, at the end of the day, somebody's children, and they are also members of my community. We're unheard. They [politicians] have everything that they wanted. This is what their decisions made, not ours,' Cage said. 'As long as I have breath in my body, I'm optimistic because I'm going to continue to do what I need to do in order to make sure that I see justice,' she finished. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Demonstrators gathered outside the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids to rally against the decision not to retry Christopher Schurr. May 22, 2025 | Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz Demonstrators gathered outside the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids to rally against the decision not to retry Christopher Schurr. May 22, 2025 | Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz Demonstrators gathered outside the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids to rally against the decision not to retry Christopher Schurr. May 22, 2025 | Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz Demonstrators gathered outside the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids to rally against the decision not to retry Christopher Schurr. May 22, 2025 | Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz Demonstrators gathered outside the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids to rally against the decision not to retry Christopher Schurr. May 22, 2025 | Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz Kent County Commissioner Robert S. Womack speaks to the press outside the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids on May 22, 2025 | Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz Grand Rapids Mayor LaGrand speaks to the press outside the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids on May 22, 2025 | Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz Demonstrators gathered outside the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids to rally against the decision not to retry Christopher Schurr. May 22, 2025 | Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz Demonstrators gathered outside the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids to rally against the decision not to retry Christopher Schurr. May 22, 2025 | Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz Ivan Diaz, a Michigan State senate candidate, gives a speech outside the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids against the decision not to retry Christopher Schurr. May 22, 2025 | Photo by Erick Diaz Veliz
New York Times
22-05-2025
- New York Times
Prosecutors Won't Retry Michigan Officer for Murder After Mistrial
Prosecutors in Grand Rapids, Mich., announced on Thursday that they would not retry a former police officer whose murder trial ended in a hung jury this month. The former officer, Christopher Schurr, testified that he fatally shot Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop in 2022. Mr. Lyoya had seized control of his stun gun during an altercation, and Mr. Schurr told the jury that he used lethal force because he feared for his life. Jurors deliberated for four days without reaching a verdict, prompting Judge Christina Mims of the Kent County Circuit Court to declare a mistrial. In a news conference Thursday morning, Chris Becker, the Kent County prosecutor, said he had concluded that the state was unlikely to prevail by putting the case before a new jury. 'Looking at everything I had, looking at the facts, quite frankly I felt there was not a basis to be able to retry this case,' Mr. Becker said. Mr. Becker said that the jury that deadlocked included 10 individuals who favored acquittal and two who wanted to convict the officer. Mr. Lyoya's death heightened racial tensions in Michigan amid a national debate over racism and police misconduct after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Mr. Schurr, 36, is white. Mr. Lyoya, 26, was Black. The killing, which occurred in a residential area on a rainy morning in April 2022, received extensive news coverage because it was captured on video from several vantage points. Mr. Lyoya, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, was pulled over because the license plate on his car was registered to another vehicle. When Mr. Schurr sought to arrest him, Mr. Lyoya tried to flee, which led to a physical altercation. After Mr. Lyoya grabbed the officer's Taser weapon while they tussled on the ground, Mr. Schurr shot him in the back of the head. 'I believe that if I hadn't done it at that time, I wasn't going to go home,' Mr. Schurr testified. After the mistrial was declared, Mr. Lyoya's parents told reporters that they hoped prosecutors would try Mr. Schurr again. On Thursday, Ven Johnson, a lawyer representing the Lyoya family, said they were deeply disappointed. 'The Lyoya family has not only lost Patrick, but now the hope that former Officer Christopher Schurr will ever be held criminally accountable for taking Patrick's life,' he said in a statement.
CBS News
22-05-2025
- CBS News
Christopher Schurr will not face a second trial in murder of Patrick Lyoya, prosecutor says
A Michigan police officer who fatally shot a Black man in the back of the head after a tumultuous traffic stop will not face a second trial, a prosecutor said Thursday, two weeks after a trial ended without a unanimous verdict. The decision by prosecutor Chris Becker is certain to anger civil rights activists and the family of Patrick Lyoya, the 26-year-old Congolese immigrant whose death in the front yard of a Grand Rapids home was recorded on video and played repeatedly at trial. Christopher Schurr, 34, who was a Grand Rapids officer, said he feared for his life and shot Lyoya because the man had control of his Taser. Schurr was charged with second-degree murder in Lyoya's death. Lyoya's death in April 2022 was the climax of a fierce struggle that lasted more than two minutes. Schurr stopped a car for having the wrong license plate. Lyoya stepped out of the car, didn't produce a driver's license and began running. Schurr was on top of Lyoya on the ground when he shot him in the back of the head. The entire confrontation was recorded on video and repeatedly played for the jury. At trial, defense experts said the decision to use deadly force was justified because the exhausted officer could have been seriously injured if Lyoya had used the Taser. The prosecutor's experts, however, said Schurr had other choices, including simply letting Lyoya run. It's not known why Lyoya was trying to flee. Records show his driver's license was revoked at the time and there was an arrest warrant for him in a domestic violence case, though Schurr didn't know it. An autopsy revealed his blood-alcohol level was three times above the legal limit for driving. Attorney Ven Johnson, who represents the Lyoya family, issued the following statement Thursday on their behalf: "The Lyoya family has not only lost Patrick, but now the hope that former officer Christopher Schurr will ever be held criminally accountable for taking Patrick's life. With today's decision, what was once a pause in justice has now become a permanent reality. This is not a verdict nor the outcome the Lyoya family sought. We will continue to stand with the Lyoya family in their pursuit of truth, accountability and justice for Patrick, and are awaiting our day in civil court."
Washington Post
22-05-2025
- Washington Post
Trial decision expected in case of Michigan police officer who killed Black man in 2022
DETROIT — A prosecutor said he will announce Thursday whether to hold a second trial for a Michigan police officer who fatally shot a Black man in the back of the head after a tumultuous traffic stop. Christopher Schurr's trial on a second-degree murder charge ended May 8 when the jury said it could not reach a unanimous verdict.
