*The Grand Rapid Police Department has released footage showing the officer-involved fatal shooting of Patrick Lyoya.
Lyoya, a 26-year-old Black man, was fatally shot during an April 4 traffic stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after an officer pulled him over for an issue with his license plate registration. Police Chief Eric Winstrom explained during a press conference that Lyoya attempted to flee during the encounter but there was a brief struggle before the victim was shot in the back of the head by the cop.
Watch the video report below.
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Here’s more from Complex:
The dashcam footage begins with the officer pulling Lyoya over in a residential area. Lyoya parks his car and exits with a seemingly confused look on his face. According to CNN, the officer orders him to get back in the vehicle. The officer then explains the issue over his license plate tags, and asks Lyoya if he speaks English. The man answers in the affirmative before opening his car door. Video then shows the men speaking for a few moments before Lyoya takes a few steps to the side. The officer attempts to stop Lyoya from moving and place him on the hood of the car.
A struggle immediately ensues, and Lyoya is seen making a run for it, before he is apprehended in a nearby front yard. The officer reportedly drew his taser, and was heard yelling “Stop resisting. Let go of the taser!” Lyoya is then pushed face down to the ground, before the officer pulls out his gun and shoots Lyoya in the head.
Newly released video shows a Grand Rapids (MI) police officer shooting unarmed 26 yo Patrick Lyoya while he was on the ground & facing away from the officer! Patrick never used violence against this officer even though the officer used violence against him in several instances. pic.twitter.com/5vNSWDYUpz
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) April 13, 2022
On Wednesday, the Grand Rapids Police Department released footage of the encounter, which includes body camera, dashcam, cell phone, and home surveillance video, per the report.
“There was a lengthy struggle, I’m told it was over a minute and a half or two minutes of fighting,” Police Chief Eric Winstrom said. “During the struggle, the officer’s weapon discharged, killing the man.”
After the footage was released, hundreds of protesters gathered outside a Michigan police station Wednesday, New York Post reports.
This is Patrick Lyoya — a 26-year-old Congolese refugee who was shot in the BACK of the head by a Grand Rapids (MI) police officer during a routine traffic stop! pic.twitter.com/nkuN76RM7a
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) April 14, 2022
“While the videos released today are an important piece of evidence, they are not all of the evidence,” said prosecutor Chris Becker, who objected to the public release of the footage.
The officer who killed Lyoya has been on the force since 2015. He is reportedly on paid leave pending the outcome of a state investigation into the shooting. The GRPD will not release his name unless he is criminally charged.
“This is a use of deadly force. The test for deadly force is that the officer is entitled to use deadly force when defending himself against a reasonable threat of death or great bodily harm,” Winstrom said. “That’ll be the test the Michigan State Police use when they look at it initially. And that’ll be the same test I use to review it after their investigation is handed off to us.”
Lyoya was the father of two young daughters, and he also leaves behind five siblings.
“He arrived in the United States as a refugee with his family fleeing violence. He had his whole life ahead of him,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
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