A lot has happened in the year since Patrick Lyoya was shot and killed by a Grand Rapids police officer during a traffic stop.
The shooting sparked outrage in the community and criminal charges for the now-former officer.
“We are not good at all,” Lyoya’s father, Peter Lyoya, said on the anniversary of his son’s death.
The shooting happened on April 4, 2022.
Shortly after, a graphic video of the shooting was released by the police department.
It showed former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr struggling with Lyoya before firing the fatal shot to the back of his head.
Schurr was fired and later charged with second-degree murder.
A trial date was set, delayed, and rescheduled for October 2023.
Since then, Lyoya’s family has grown impatient in their grief.
“We can not take it anymore,” said Peter Lyoya alongside his wife, Dorcas. “That’s the thing that is hurting because when someone commits a crime, they should be readily charged, and then justice should be done.”
Lyoya was unarmed, but there was a struggle over the officer’s taser. Schurr’s attorneys plan to highlight the struggle as part of their defense.
After watching the video, Lyoya’s family says it’s clear what happened.
“The truth is out there,” Peter Lyoya said. “You saw how my son was killed. He was murdered.”
Aside from the criminal case, the Lyoya family has filed a civil lawsuit against the City of Grand Rapids.
The attorneys representing the family, Ven Johnson, and Ben Crump, plan to announce new developments in the civil case next week.
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