A Grand Rapids police officer has been charged with murder for the fatal shooting of motorist Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop that was viewed on video that shocked residents.
The law enforcement personnel was seen on footage wrestling on the ground with a Black man who had fled from a traffic stop. He then pulled out his gun and fired a single round into the back of the victim's head, instantly killing him.
Fatal Shooting of Patrick Lyoya
For two months since the Apr. 4 fatal shooting, protesters marched through downtown, interrupted City Commission meetings, and demanded that the officer responsible for the incident, identified as Christopher Schurr, face criminal charges.
On Thursday, Christopher Becker, the Kent County prosecuting attorney, charged Schurr, who is a White police officer, with second-degree murder. A lawyer for the Lyoya family, Ven Johnson, said that they were hoping for sooner rather than later, police officers understand that what they got away with in the past is something they cannot avoid now, as per the New York Times.
Even in modern times, it remains relatively rare for American police officers to face charges for on-duty killings, though such cases have become more common in recent years amid public outcry over police conduct. It is also the result of the proliferation of cameras that can either confirm or conflict with an officer's account.
In the event that charges are filed against police officers, cases can often be challenging to prove in court. Law enforcement personnel are given a wide berth to use force under law, and jurors have been known to be sympathetic when police officers assert that they feared for their lives.
According to CNN, Becker said on Thursday that the charge was not a message but rather a case based on facts and authorities making a decision based on those facts. On the other hand, Grand Rapids Police Department Chief Eric Winstrom, who spoke with other city officials at a Thursday news conference, said that he was recommending to the city Schurr's suspension without pay, pending termination.
Murder Charge
The officer will have a discharge hearing, and the city manager will make the final determination on his employment. Becker said he had already spoken with Lyoya's family and sent them a letter in their native Swahili.
An attorney for the Lyoya family, Ben Crump, said in a statement that the decision to file charges was a "step in the right direction." He added that they were encouraged by attorney Becker's decision to charge Schurr for the brutal and horrific murder of the victim, which was witnessed by the public when the video was released.
Schurr's personal file shows no complaints of excessive force but much praise for traffic stops and foot chases that led to arrests and the seizure of guns and drugs. Several weeks ago, Black community activists accused Becker, a Republican, of being too close to police and urged him to give the case to the Michigan attorney general, who is a Democrat, to avoid even the appearance of a conflict, a proposal that the prosecutor declined, Fox News reported.
Related Article: Former Louisiana Police Arrested After Dumping Gun Behind Home Where Kids Later Discover Firearms
