GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Kent County Prosecutor says he expects an appeal from the attorneys representing ex-Grand Rapids Police officer Christopher Schurr as his jury trial will likely get underway in 2023 at the earliest.
On Monday, a judge ruled there is enough evidence to send Schurr to trial.
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Schurr faces second-degree murder charges stemming from an April 4 traffic stop.
Body camera footage shows Schurr pulling over a vehicle with 26-year-old Patrick Lyoya at the wheel. Schurr said he pulled the vehicle over since its plates did not match. The footage shows Lyoya resisting arrest. Schurr says when Lyoya reached for his taser, he feared for his life and that’s why he shot him. Toxicology reports showed Lyoya’s blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit at the time of his arrest.
No one is disputing that Schurr shot Lyoya. The Kent County Prosecutor must prove that Schurr’s use of deadly force was not justified.
Meanwhile, the Grand Rapids Police Officer’s Association is backing their colleague and his wife.
In a Facebook post after Monday’s ruling, the organization wrote, “The GRPOA will continue to support you and stand with you. You are family! We are here for your every need. Today’s decision by Judge Ayoub is only prolonging the inevitable. You have committed no crime and you will be acquitted. Keep your head up! Know you have many that support you in the community and throughout the nation.”
The group ended the post by quoting Proverbs 3:5-6 from the Bible, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”
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