Jun 9, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Michigan cop charged with murder in Patrick Lyoya shooting

Oriana González

Picture of Patrick Lyoya — Peter Lyoya, the father of Patrick Lyoya, marches with supporters to the Michigan state Capitol building, where demonstrators called on the Grand Rapids police department to name, arrest and prosecute the officer that shot his son on April 21 in Lansing, Michigan. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

A Michigan prosecutor on Thursday filed a second-degree murder charge against Christopher Schurr, a police officer who shot and killed Patrick Lyoya, a Black man.

Driving the news: Kent County prosecutor Chris Becker said in a news briefing he made the decision to charge Schurr based on an internal investigation from the Michigan state police, adding that there is sufficient basis to proceed on a single count of second-degree murder.

Schurr turned himself in and is expected to be arraigned on Friday, Becker said.
Second-degree murder is punishable by up to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Catch up fast: Schurr killed Lyoya on April 4. Ten days later, officials in Grand Rapids, Michigan, released videos showing the then-unidentified police officer shooting Lyoya in the head.

Lyoya's death sparked outrage from his family and others who watched the videos.

State of play: Becker said the charge had not been filed sooner because he got the full report on the events around Memorial Day. He added that with this particular case they wanted to be "thorough" before filing a charge.

Becker briefly spoke to Lyoya's family about the decision to charge Schurr with second-degree murder. He said that they thanked him.

Go deeper ... Videos show Michigan police officer fatally shooting Black man

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Michigan cop charged with murder in Patrick Lyoya shooting

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