Michigan officer charged with second-degree murder for killing Patrick Lyoya

Michigan officer charged with second-degree murder in death of Patrick Lyoya, a Black man who was on the ground when he was shot

Arpan LoboNavya GuptaDetroit Free Press June 9,2022

Christopher Schurr – a Grand Rapids, Michigan, police officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head on April 4 – has been charged with one count of second-degree murder, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker announced Thursday.

Second-degree murder is considered a felony offense. If convicted, Schurr could face a lifelong prison sentence with the possibility of parole.

Becker said the second-degree murder charge was the most severe possible, given the evidence he reviewed – there was not any indication of premeditation from Schurr, he said, which prevented a first-degree murder charge.

Schurr turned himself in, Becker said, and his arraignment could come as soon as Friday. He is likely to be tried in Kent County, with Becker’s office overseeing the case.

“I wouldn’t charge it if I didn’t think I could prove it,” Becker told media gathered in the Michigan State Police precinct just northwest of Grand Rapids.

More at https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/06/09/patrick-lyoya-death-officer-charged-murder/7570955001/