Mistrial Declared in Ex-Grand Rapids Michigan Police Officer's 2nd-Degree Murder Trial

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The murder trial for the Grand Rapids police officer who killed Patrick Lyoya has resulted in a hung jury.

A mistrial was declared after the jury hopelessly deadlocked on the second-degree murder charge against Christopher Schurr, the police officer who has since been fired. As a result, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker will have to decide whether to refile charges against Schurr.

Schurr killed Lyoya, a 26-year-old Congolese immigrant, three years ago during a traffic stop.

The hung jury order was read Thursday, May 8 in Judge Christina Mim’s packed courtroom in downtown Grand Rapids, a city that’s been divided over the shooting.

Supporters of both Schurr and Lyoya gathered on the sidewalks outside the Kent County Courthouse ahead of the announcement.

It was a murder trial centered around a low-level traffic stop three years ago involving a white police officer and Black motorist.

Tensions between law enforcement and the public were still high with the killing happening less two years after the May 2020 murder of George Floyd by a white Minneapolis police officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Like Floyd, Lyoya’s killing led to protests in downtown Grand Rapids.

The encounter between Schurr and Lyoya unfolded around 8:11 a.m. on April 4, 2022, in a neighborhood on the city’s southeast side.

Schurr stopped Lyoya on Nelson Avenue SE north of Griggs Street SE because his license plate didn’t match the vehicle.

The officer told Lyoya – who was intoxicated – to stay in his car but Lyoya fled on foot. Schurr tackled Lyoya in a nearby front yard and a struggle over the officer’s Taser ensued. Schurr deployed the Taser twice but failed to hit Lyoya.

Schurr was on top of Lyoya – who was on the ground trying to get up – when the officer fired a shot into the back of Lyoya’s head.

Schurr, a seven-year officer, was fired from the Grand Rapids Police Department in the days after he was charged with second-degree murder.

Footage of the altercation was captured, in-part, on bodycam and dashcam. A passenger in Lyoya’s vehicle recorded a portion of the struggle – including the fatal gunshot – on his cell phone.

Protesters flooded Grand Rapids’ streets in the days after Lyoya’s death, calling for police reform and demanding justice. Outrage increased when the world saw footage of Schurr shooting Lyoya in the back of the head.

Appeals slowed the criminal case for years as defense attorneys tried to get the murder charge dropped. But the state’s higher courts denied the appeals and ordered the officer stand trial.

Testimony got underway Monday, April 28, with Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker presenting the state’s case. Becker put eyewitnesses on the stand who testified their recollections of what unfolded that cold morning.

Wayne Butler, a homeowner who lives close to the scene, was one of those witnesses. Butler saw part of the tussle and said Schurr was in control before he shot Lyoya.

“This tussle’s gonna end up in someone dying,” Butler said.

The prosecution’s case also included testimony from experts who said a reasonable officer in Schurr’s situation would not think the use of deadly force was necessary.

In a pivotal moment during the trial, Schurr took the stand. For the first time, Schurr offered some insight of what unfolded that morning.

Schurr told jurors he was “running on fumes” midway through a scuffle with Lyoya. On the stand for about three hours, Schurr told the jury he feared for his life and if he didn’t shoot Lyoya, he “wasn’t going to go home.”

Experts for the defense analyzed footage of the traffic stop frame by frame.

Schurr’s legal team – Matt Borgula, Mark Dodge and Mikayla Hamilton – called its range of experts to counter the prosecution’s arguments. Grand Rapids police captains David Siver and Chad McKersie both testified for the defense and back Schurr’s actions.

Defense attorneys also called use-of-force, firearms, and Taser experts who said Schurr acted reasonably, and the shooting was justified.

On Tuesday afternoon, the jurors told the judge that they were deadlocked. The judge gave them instructions and had them continue deliberations.

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