Latest news with #GrandRapidsPolice
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
GRPD: 1 hurt in shooting; no arrests made
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — One person was hurt in a Saturday evening shooting in Grand Rapids, police say. Around 11 p.m., officers with the Grand Rapids Police Department were sent to the area of Sheldon Avenue SE near MLK Jr Street SE for a shooting. GRPD said one person was shot. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening. No arrests have been made, GRPD said. It's unclear what led up to the shooting. The shooting remains under investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
San Francisco Chronicle
22-05-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trial decision expected in case of Michigan police officer who killed Black man in 2022
Former Grand Rapids Police officer Christopher Schurr sits in court during the second day of his trial at the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids, Mich., Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Schurr is charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Patrick Lyoya, a 26-year-old Congolese immigrant during a traffic stop on April 4, 2022. (WOOD-TV via AP, Pool) Joel Bissell/AP FILE - A TV display shows Patrick Lyoya as video evidence of a Grand Rapids police officer struggling with and shooting Patrick Lyoya is shown at Grand Rapids City Hall in Grand Rapids, Mich., Wednesday, April 13, 2022. (Grand Rapids Police Department via AP) Cory Morse | Patrick Lyoya's parents Dorcas, left, and Peter talk with translator Israel Siku, right, during a break in the sixth day of trial for former Grand Rapids Police officer Christopher Schurr, who is charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Patrick Lyoya, a Congolese immigrant, at the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids, Mich., Monday, May 5, 2025. (Joel Bissell/ Gazette via AP) Joel Bissell/AP DETROIT (AP) — 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 7 when the jury said it could not reach a unanimous verdict. Kent County prosecutor Chris Becker scheduled an 11:30 a.m. EDT news conference in Grand Rapids, 160 miles (260 kilometers) west of Detroit, to announce the next step. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Schurr, 34, who was a Grand Rapids officer, said he feared for his life and shot Patrick Lyoya because the 26-year-old Congolese immigrant had control of his Taser. 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. Advertisement Article continues below this ad 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.
BBC News
08-05-2025
- BBC News
Patrick Lyoya: Mistrial in murder case against officer who shot black motorist
A judge declared a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a verdict in the murder trial of a Michigan police officer who fatally shot a black man during a traffic Schurr was charged with second-degree murder for the killing of 26-year-old Patrick Lyoya in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on 4 April 2022. The killing of Mr Lyoya, a Congolese immigrant, sparked widespread protests and put the question of racial injustice and policing in the spotlight."It hurts. My family, my wife, we are bleeding," Mr Lyoya's father said after the judge declared mistrial. "We will continue to fight under we get the true justice for Patrick." The mistrial is a partial victory for Mr Schurr, who still could face another 4 April incident was caught in graphic detail and from multiple angles on a police bodycam and dashboard camera, an eyewitness' phone and a doorbell security system from a nearby home. Footage shows Mr Lyoya fleeing from Mr Schurr on foot following a traffic stop. The two men scuffle over Mr Schurr's Taser before he shoots Mr Lyoya, who was face-down on the scuffle over the Taser was central to Mr Schurr's defence, who testified that he was in great fear because a Taser can cause "excruciating pain" and injury."I believed that if I hadn't done it at that time, I wasn't going to go home," Mr Schurr said of shooting Mr Schurr, an officer in the Grand Rapids police department for seven years, was fired soon after he was charged in Lyoya came to the US with his family from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2014. He had lived in Grand Rapids for about five years, according to the office of civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who is representing the Lyoya killing sparked protests in Grand Rapids, renewing questions around police brutality and why traffic stops involving black men so often result in tragedy. The mistrial comes just one day after three former Memphis police officers were acquitted of murder in the killing of Tyre Nichols, a black man who was beaten during a traffic stop in 2023.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Grand Rapids jury continues to deliberate in murder trial of former officer Schurr
GRAND RAPIDS — A west Michigan jury is slated to enter a fourth day of deliberations May 8, as it has yet to produce a verdict in the murder trial of former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr. The 12-person jury heard five-and-a-half days of testimony in the trial starting April 28, where prosecutors allege Schurr used excessive force in the April 2022 killing of Patrick Lyoya, a Congolese immigrant who was 26 at the time of his death. Lyoya and Schurr were engaged in a physical struggle after Lyoya had attempted to flee from Schurr during a traffic stop. If convicted of second-degree murder, Schurr faces up to life in prison. Before jurors began deliberating May 5, Kent County 17th Circuit Judge Christina Mims included voluntary manslaughter as a secondary charge in her instructions to the jury, over objections from Schurr's defense attorneys. Manslaughter is punishable by up to 15 years in prison in Michigan. Jurors had initially informed Mims on May 6 they could not reach a verdict at 3 p.m., after about nine hours of deliberation. Matt Borgula, Schurr's lead defense attorney, had motioned for a mistrial at the time, but Mims instructed the jury to continue seeking a verdict. Schurr's attorneys had argued the former officer was acting in self defense, after Lyoya attempted to grab Schurr's Taser during the physical struggle. Prosecutors had argued Schurr used excessive force. Outside the courthouse in downtown Grand Rapids, demonstrators continued to gather May 7 to await a verdict, as they had since the trial began April 28. Some waved 'thin blue line' flags, a common signal of law enforcement support. Others, in larger numbers, arrived at the courthouse to support the Lyoya family. Dozens of demonstrators chanted 'justice for Patrick' at vehicles passing by, some honking in apparent signs of support. More: Christopher Schurr testifies in trial over Lyoya shooting, says he feared for his life On May 6, demonstrators clashed outside the courthouse. One woman was arrested for fighting, a Grand Rapids Police (GRPD) spokesperson confirmed to the Free Press. An investigation attempting to identify other involved individuals will take place, the spokesperson said. GRPD officers have been stationed across the street on bikes since demonstrations started. Schurr was patrolling the southeast side of Grand Rapids on the morning of April 4, 2022, when he pulled over Lyoya for a traffic stop. Lyoya later tried to run away from Schurr, who chased after him and tackled him in a nearby front lawn. As the two struggled, Lyoya attempted to grab Schurr's Taser, footage released by the GRPD and played in court shows. Just before Schurr fatally shot Lyoya in the back of the head, he yelled, 'Let go of the Taser,' footage shows. Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Christopher Schurr trial: Jury enters fourth day of deliberations
Winnipeg Free Press
06-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jurors in Michigan officer's murder trial are struggling to reach a verdict, told to keep trying
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A judge urged jurors to keep working Tuesday after they said they couldn't reach a unanimous verdict in the murder trial of a Michigan police officer who fatally shot a 26-year-old Congolese immigrant minutes after a routine traffic stop. 'Talk things over in the spirit of fairness and frankness. … By reasoning the matter out, jurors can often reach agreement,' Kent County Judge Christina Mims said. Christopher Schurr has claimed self-defense in the killing of Patrick Lyoya following a brief foot chase and fierce physical struggle in a Grand Rapids residential neighborhood in 2022. Former Grand Rapids Police officer Christopher Schurr sits in court during the second day of his trial at the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids, Mich., Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Schurr is charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Patrick Lyoya, a 26-year-old Congolese immigrant during a traffic stop on April 4, 2022. (WOOD-TV via AP, Pool) Schurr, 34, is charged with second-degree murder, but the jury can also consider a lesser charge of manslaughter. Deliberations began Monday afternoon. Lyoya's mother rocked side to side in her seat as the judge spoke to the jury. Schurr and his wife left the courtroom holding hands. The shooting on a cool, rainy spring morning was recorded on video. Schurr was on top of Lyoya and had lost control of a Taser to him. He repeatedly ordered Lyoya to drop the weapon and to stop resisting before he shot him in the back of the head. In his closing argument, prosecutor Chris Becker said Lyoya was 'no saint,' noting his resistance, a high blood-alcohol level and his lack of a driver's license. But 'none of those are executable offenses,' Becker told the jury. Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Sign up for The Warm-Up Defense attorney Matthew Borgula said Schurr genuinely feared for his life after losing control of his Taser, which is designed to temporarily incapacitate someone with electric current. 'Christopher Schurr was at work, and he was faced with the toughest decision of his life in half a second,' Borgula said. Schurr was fired from the Grand Rapids department. The shooting prompted protests in the city, and demonstrators on both sides have stood outside the courthouse during the trial with signs that say, 'Stand with Schurr' and 'Justice for Patrick.' Civil rights groups decried the shooting as more aggression against Black people in the U.S. by white officers.
