Former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr will not be retried for the shooting death of Patrick Lyoya, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker announced last Thursday, two weeks following a mistrial due to a jury deadlock, CBS News Detroit reports. Schurr had been charged with second-degree murder for the April 2022 incident, wherein Lyoya, a Congolese immigrant, was fatally shot in the back of the head after a traffic stop escalated into a physical confrontation.
The decision has sparked significant responses; the Lyoya family's attorney Ven Johnson conveyed the family's profound disappointment, "The Lyoya family has not only lost Patrick, but now the hope that former officer Christopher Schurr will ever be held criminally accountable for taking Patrick's life," Johnson said in a statement obtained by CBS News Detroit, and they intend to continue their quest for justice through a civil lawsuit. Moreover, Becker, addressing the public decision, stated, "I'll cut right to the chase, I've made the decision not to seek a retrial in the case of Christopher Schurr," he stated "I know this is an extremely difficult decision, I spoke with Peter (Patrick's father) about a half hour ago and obviously he's very disappointed in that decision and I know there's many members of the community that are disappointed in that decision," he conveyed his conversation with Lyoya's father in a report by Audacy.
During the original trial, testimony centered on the struggle for Schurr's Taser, the defense argued that the officer was justified in using deadly force upon his belief that Lyoya had gained control of the weapon. However, the prosecutor pointed out that the Taser had already been deployed twice and in a "different mode" for Lyoya to use it against the officer, as explained by Audacy.
Becker emphasized his firm stance despite the trial's outcome, affirming, "I put the best case I could forward when I tried this case," "I did the best I could, I did everything I could the jury couldn't reach a verdict, I still stand by the decision" he told reporters, according to Detroit Free Press. Despite Becker's resolve, the decision not to retry Schurr effectively closes the criminal case, leaving many, including Kent County Commissioner Robert Womack, to support the grieving family, saying, “They were very, very hurt, and still trying to understand the American justice system,” as reported by the Detroit Free Press.
After the announcement, protests continued as the community demanded more accountability and transparency from the police. These calls were sparked by Lyoya's death and the recent decision. In response to the shooting, the Grand Rapids Police Department introduced new policies, such as de-escalation training and a stronger focus on the value of life, as per Detroit Free Press.
