GREEN BAY — In response to public clamour for greater transparency, Grand Rapids police released recordings Wednesday showing a White officer shooting a Black man during a scuffle that erupted during a traffic check last week.
In approximately 20 minutes of video released during a press conference by Grand Rapids police, an officer, who has not been identified, can be seen wrestling with 26-year-old Patrick Lyoya before firing his weapon into the back of his head. During the battle, the footage appears to show Lyoya attempting to seize control of the officer’s stun gun.
“Let go of the Taser,” the officer can be heard telling Lyoya moments before firing the fatal shot and then summoning backup.
On April 4, at 8:11 a.m., a confrontation occurred near the intersection of Griggs and Nelson on the city’s southeast side.
The officer informs Lyoya in the released video that he was pulled over because his licence plate did not match his vehicle. Lyoya was driving the vehicle and was accompanied by a male passenger.
Lyoya exits the vehicle prior to the police approaching during the stop. The officer directs him to return to the car, requests his licence, and inquires as to whether he speaks English, which Lyoya confirms. Swahili is the family’s native tongue, according to Israel Siku, the family’s interpreter.
Lyoya is bewildered and dismissive when the officer informs her that the car is not registered. The officer then requests a copy of his driver’s licence.
Lyoya informs the officer that his licence is in the car, and he stands at the vehicle for over 30 seconds with the door open before closing it. “Nope, nope,” the cop exclaims as he attempts to lift Lyoya onto the hood of the automobile the man was driving.
That is when the conflict begins, as Lyoya escapes the automobile and rushes into a nearby yard. The officer summons backup, reporting that “the subject is fleeing,” and another battle ensues in the front yard of a property next to the location of Lyoya’s stop.
As the cop struggles to detain Lyoya, he pulls out a stun gun.
Lyoya pushes the officer’s stun gun toward the ground at one point, deactivating the officer’s body camera. Another video shows the two grappling until the cop draws his firearm and fires into the back of Lyoya’s head while he is on top of her.
The passenger exits the vehicle during the scuffle and tells the officer, just before Lyoya is fatally shot, “You hit him, too.” Following Lyoya’s shooting, the officer rises and commands the passenger to “return.”
The altercation over the stun gun lasted approximately 90 seconds, according to Grand Rapids police Chief Eric Winstrom. The cop discharged the stun gun twice, according to Winstrom, and both times it struck the ground. During the battle, the body-worn camera was deactivated because it was held down for three seconds, Winstrom stated.
“What we’ve discovered through our examination of the data is that it was struck numerous times throughout that conflict,” Winstrom added.
Three minutes after the officer requested assistance, backup arrived on the scene. Winstrom stated that no weapon was retrieved from Lyoya, but he admitted that he is not aware of all the evidence because the Michigan State Police is handling the case.
Winstrom demonstrated videos from the body-worn camera, the in-car camera, a cellphone, and a home security system during the press conference.
“You’re attempting to apprehend him. That is all “According to Winstrom, the altercation occurred. “The follow-up question will be whether the use of force and policy — which I will not comment on — but the test (for that policy) will be whether that deadly force was necessary to prevent death or grave bodily damage to that police officer?”
Winstrom said the officer was a couple of hours into his day shift when the event occurred. He has been placed on paid leave and has had his authority revoked pending the result of the Michigan State Police investigation. According to the city, the officer joined the department in 2015.
Prosecutor Chris Becker of Kent County previously requested that police withhold evidence until the inquiry is complete. However, Lyoya’s family, a Kent County commissioner, and the Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union have spent the last week advocating for video release.
The incident, according to Lyoya’s relatives and Kent County Commissioner Robert Womack, was a “execution.”
Womack demanded Wednesday that the officer’s identify be made public and stated that the situation “was escalated by police.” He urged protesters to abstain from violence.
“We cannot discuss change unless we be the change we wish to see,” Womack remarked Wednesday.
Attorney Ben Crump, who led the legal team representing George Floyd’s family, flew to Grand Rapids to defend the family.
Crump issued a statement on Twitter following the video’s publication, stating, “We DEMAND that the cop who killed Patrick be arrested and prosecuted for his brutal, reckless, and unjustified killing of this Black guy during a misdemeanour traffic stop!”
The Lyoya family, through their family representative, declined to comment on Wednesday, stating that they needed to consult with Crump and planned to conduct a press conference Thursday.
In 2014, the Lyoya family fled the Democratic Republic of Congo. The family resides in Lansing, whereas Patrick Lyoya was a resident of Grand Rapids.
Ven Johnson, the Detroit City Attorney who also represents the Lyoya family, told The Detroit News on Wednesday that the video was “very upsetting and an utter homicide.”
“According to reports, the licence plate does not belong on his vehicle. In other words, he may be wary of the possibility of a stolen automobile, but that is granting him the benefit of the doubt “As Johnson stated.
“However, he becomes enthused as the gentleman exits the vehicle, correct? The reality is that you have an unarmed individual, a Black man, and a White cop, and there is no doubt that the police officer was within his rights to ask questions. However, after a physical conflict occurs, he realises he lacks support, and hence should have ceased engaging this individual for his own personal safety.”
According to Johnson, the officer was in possession of the licence plate, the passenger, and the car “Everything he could possibly need to catch this driver in the near future.
“So, why would you fall on top of him and then bring out your gun and shoot him in the back of the head?” he asked. “This is a clear case of homicide. There is no justification for this.”
Governor Gretchen Whitmer pledged Wednesday afternoon that the Michigan State Police will undertake a “independent, transparent inquiry” into the event.
“Patrick’s father requested that I relay his want for peaceful demonstrations in his son’s honour, and as Governor, I concur,” Whitmer said in a statement. “We must work together to create a future in which Black Michiganders have equal access to justice, dignity, and safety in our communities.”
In a statement, the ACLU of Michigan, the Greater Grand Rapids NAACP, LINC UP, and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center demanded that the officer’s name be revealed, among other things. These included the appointment of a prosecutor from outside Kent County who does not typically work with Grand Rapids police to examine the incident and the prompt start of a federal investigation.
“Patrick Lyoya’s brutal and senseless death is the result of an unnecessarily violent police interaction, a reflection of a policing culture that values enforcement and tolerates violent responses to nonviolent situations “Loren Khogali, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement.
“The community had to wait nine days for the release of this heinous video depicting Patrick Lyoya’s killing at the hands of a GRPD officer. The video evidence raises more problems, and the city’s conduct throughout this investigation must be completely transparent. For years, the community has advocated for an end to discriminatory policing methods and the establishment of a community-based public safety model.”
Protesters congregate
After the video was posted Wednesday, a gathering of around 300 people gathered near to Rosa Parks Circle, as the real park was under renovation. The majority of those there were younger, and many held posters like, “Arrest aggressive cops,” “We demand an end to police violence,” and “defund the GRPD.” Numerous Black Lives Matter placards were also present during the rally.
At approximately 6 p.m., an hour after the protest began, the throng began advancing down the street toward police headquarters. Barricades were erected Tuesday in front of the police headquarters in preparation for a scheduled march in favour of Lyoya.
Some officers appeared near the entrance to GR police HQ, prompting an angry response from protesters. It’s started raining heavier, driving a few away but many have stayed. pic.twitter.com/8MkTZqeDwR
— George Hunter (@GeorgeHunter_DN) April 13, 2022
Among the chants were “Justice for Patrick.” “Distribute the appropriate video,” “F—- the cops!” “Qualified immunity” and “Where there is no justice, there is no peace.”
Wednesday night, many officers came outside the entrance of police headquarters, eliciting a furious response from protesters.
The gathering observed a brief moment of quiet at one point, during which they raised their fists.
“What that cop did was awful,” said Grand Rapids resident Noah Sweet, 21. “He should be removed from the police force and sentenced to prison for his actions. I desired to come down here after viewing the film.”
Cassandra Gomez, 23, of Grand Rapids, confirmed that she is acquainted with Lyoya’s girlfriend. “She’s going through a difficult period right now, so I came down here to show my support for her and her family.”
DeAndre Jones addressed the assembly, describing himself as a neighbourhood activist. He stated that his cousin, Darren Green Jr., was assassinated two years ago by Chicago police.
“Irrespective of ethnic origin, that man (Lyoya) should not have been assassinated. I invested my blood, sweat, and tears in this community, as did many of you. I’m sick of this nonsense. You witnessed the video. They sprayed him with bullets in the back of the head. That very well might have been you.”
The medical examiner will not divulge the results of the autopsy.
Kent County Chief Medical Examiner Stephen Cohle conducted an autopsy on Lyoya’s body with the presence of a state police officer, as is customary, he said in a statement Wednesday.
The autopsy report will not be made public until MSP completes its investigation, and authorities are awaiting toxicology and tissue analysis results, which could take up to 60 days; however, they have requested that these results be expedited, Cohle wrote.
The Lyoya family is not authorised to visit the body at their facility, Cohle explained, “because we are unable to provide the privacy that family members require in these circumstances… and the viewing has been postponed until his body can be taken to a funeral home.” On April 5, the family was granted permission to transfer the body to the funeral home of their choice, he added.
Cohle stated that his office will engage with any board-certified forensic pathologist if the Lyoya family requests or requires an independent autopsy.
“We endeavour to ensure that every family is handled with decency and respect and is aided in making suitable preparations by providing compassion and honest information,” Cohle added. “I spoke with Mr. Lyoya’s father directly (through interpreter), and my office stands ready to assist him with the release of his son’s body once the family has decided on the arrangements.”
Inviting ‘peaceful protests’
More rallies are planned for the downtown area over the next several days and into the weekend, City Manager Mark Washington said, adding that he supports individuals expressing their First Amendment rights.
His staff is collaborating with organisers to maintain a safe atmosphere; but, given the demonstration is centred on the police station, he added, his staff has taken precautions to assure “continuous access and uninterrupted operations.”
“Because the demonstration is centred on our police department, we have implemented some precautionary measures around that facility to ensure continuous access and operations,” he stated in the statement.
“This not only secures the building, but also ensures the continuance of public safety services for the entire neighbourhood. While I recognise that these safeguards may seem excessive to some, I can tell you that there is no sign of an impending threat at the moment.”