The Blog

2022-

2022-05-09 d
RESISTANCE OF ARREST IS USELESS (& STUPID & FUTILE)

Black police [arrest-resisting] shooting victim Patrick Lyoya died from gunshot wound to the back of his head and was three times over drink-drive limit when white cop pulled him over, official autopsy reveals

The report from the Kent County medical examiner matched the conclusion of an expert hired by the family of 26-year-old father-of-two Patrick Lyoya
Lyoya, a refugee from Congo, was killed during a physical struggle with white Officer Christopher Schurr on the morning of April 4
Lyoya was face down on the ground when he was shot by Schurr, who was on top of him and can be heard on video demanding Lyoya take his hand off the taser
The autopsy revealed that Lyoya's blood-alcohol level was 0.29, more than three times over the legal limit for driving, when his car was stopped in Grand Rapids
An attorney for Lyoya's family maintained that his blood-alcohol level was irrelevant in the investigation and 'was not punishable by execution'

A black man killed by a white Michigan cop during a traffic stop died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head, and was three times over the drink-drive limit, an official autopsy has found.

The report from the Kent County medical examiner matched the conclusion of an expert hired by the family of 26-year-old father-of-two Patrick Lyoya, who was shot dead April 4.

Lyoya, a refugee from Congo, was killed during a physical struggle with Officer Christopher Schurr after being pulled over and trying to run away.

He was unarmed and was face down on the ground when he was shot by Schurr, who was on top of him.

Bodycam footage depicts Schurr, who has several prior citations for 'meritorious and professional actions' in traffic stops that resulted in arrests, demanding Lyoya take his hand off the officer's taser.

The autopsy revealed that Lyoya's blood-alcohol level was 0.29, more than three times over the 0.08 legal limit for driving, when his car was stopped in Grand Rapids, the Detroit Free Press reported Friday.

A forensic pathologist who previously conducted an autopsy at the family's request, said Schurr pressed the gun to Lyoya's head when he was shot.

'It's highly significant that Dr. Steve Cohle found the identical findings of Dr. Spitz,' said Lyoya family attorney Ven Johnson, referring to the county medical examiner.

The attorney maintained that Lyoya's blood-alcohol level was irrelevant in the investigation, because nothing Lyoya did merited his killing.

'Drinking and driving isn't punishable by execution,' Johnson said. 'We can all debate, assuming the results are correct, what effect it had on my client's behavior. But it had nothing to do with the cause and manner of his death.'

State police investigating the shooting submitted a report last week to Kent County prosecutor Chris Becker, who wants reports about the officer's taser and body-worn camera.

After reviewing the evidence, Becker will decide if Schurr, who was placed on leave in the aftermath of the shooting, will face charges

Michigan police initially said it would withhold the officer's name unless he was charged with a crime, citing a long-standing practice that applied to the public as well as city employees.

It was only after mounting pressure from advocacy groups and [Only] Black Lives Matter protesters, that Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington acknowledged the demand. Washington has since said the practice was under review.

A forensic pathologist had previously performed a separate autopsy at the request of the family and announced the findings on April 19. He also found that a shot to the head killed Lyoya.

Dr. Werner Spitz added that he believed the gun was pressed against the head.

In video of the disturbing shooting recorded by Lyoya's passenger, Schurr can be heard saying Lyoya that he had stopped him because the license plate didn't match the vehicle.

Lyoya began to run after the officer asked for a driver's license and Schurr quickly caught him before the pair continued to struggle across a front lawn in a residential neighborhood.

The Congo national was on the ground when Schurr shot him. He had demanded that Lyoya take his hand off the officer's taser, according to video. (read more)

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