Contact Us

Michigan police release footage of officer shooting Black man during traffic stop

Police in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Wednesday released three videos of a police officer shooting a Black man dead as the two men fought in the rain on a suburban front lawn following a traffic stop.

Agencies and A News WORLD
Published April 14,2022
Subscribe
Patrick Lyoya blocks a taser weapon held by a Grand Rapids Police officer during a traffic stop, shortly before Lyoya was shot dead by the officer during a scuffle on a suburban front lawn in Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. (REUTERS)

Police in the U.S. state of Michigan released four videos Wednesday of a police shooting earlier this month that left a Black man dead.

The videos, released by the Grand Rapids Police Department, show an officer fatally shooting Patrick Lyoya, 26, in the back of the head during a traffic stop in Grand Rapids on April 4.

"It's an absolute tragedy. It's heartbreaking. It's been a difficult time internally for the police department," Grand Rapids police Chief Eric Winstrom said at a press conference.

According to one video, Lyoya was on the ground and facing away from the officer, who later pulled the trigger.

The shooting came after a two-minute struggle between the two men. The police officer, whose identity has yet to be released, reportedly stopped Lyoya because his license plate did not match his vehicle.

Lyoya, the father of two young daughters, arrived in the U.S. from Congo as a refugee with his family, fleeing violence.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the Michigan State Police will conduct a transparent, independent investigation of the shooting.

"Justice is foundational to safety, and without justice, we are all less safe," she said in a statement.

"We DEMAND that the officer who killed Patrick not only be terminated for his excessive and fatal force, but be arrested and prosecuted for his violent, reckless, and unjustified killing of this Black man during a misdemeanor traffic stop!" Ben Crump, a lawyer for the family, said on Twitter.

The incident prompted protests in the city.