The white police officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head during a traffic stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been identified as local officer Christopher Schurr, The Daily Beast reports. The development comes three weeks after the horrific incident, which was captured on several videos.
According to the incident report, Lyoya fled a traffic stop just prior to the shooting and appeared to grab the cop’s taser during an ensuing struggle. Seconds later he was shot from behind and with his face down.
There is no evidence that Lyoya was armed before the fatal incident, police said, adding that Schurr was placed on administrative leave in connection with the April 4 shooting death of the 26-year-old Black man.
Kent County prosecutors have said they will wait for the conclusion of a state police investigation to decide on any possible charges for Schurr.
Meanwhile, protests continue across the city, fueled by anger over a legacy of police violence and misconduct toward local communities of color, The Beast reported.
An attorney representing the Lyoya family slammed the police for refusing to release the name of the officer, days after the fatal shooting.
“An intentional three-week delay in releasing the name of the involved officer, which they clearly knew at the moment of the shooting, is offensive and the exact opposite of being ‘transparent,’” the attorney, Ven Johnson said. “Once again, we see the Grand Rapids Police Department taking care of its own at the expense of the family’s mental health and well-being.”
Chief Eric Winstrom had said in a Monday statement that the decision to name the officer who killed Lyoya was in “the interest of transparency, to reduce on-going speculation, and to avoid any further confusion” in the case.
Read more in The Daily Beast.
