Michigan Cop Who Killed Black Motorist Won't Face 2nd Murder Trial

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Prosecutors will not retry former Grand Rapids Police Officer Christopher Schurr, who was charged with murder in the April 2022 shooting death of a 26-year-old Congolese man.

The decision comes two weeks after a jury could not reach a verdict in the case after deliberating for more than 20 hours over several days.

Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said during a Thursday morning news conference that he doesn't think a jury would reach a different verdict if Schurr were retried in the case.

"I looked at everything: I looked at our case. I looked at the defense case. I looked at the arguments that were made. I looked at the jury selection process, because I think that’s one of the biggest things that, going into this, we were thinking about getting a good jury. I even went over and watched more of the trial," Becker said.

Becker went on to say he believed prosecutors presented a good case and that the jury wasn't flawed.

"I think we had a really good jury. These were very conscientious jurors," Becker said. "They paid attention. They asked good questions. They were engaged that entire time."

Patrick Lyoya, a refugee from Congo, was stopped by Schurr on April 4, 2022 in Grand Rapids for a mismatched license plate on the car he was driving, according to police.

When Schurr asked for his driver's license, police said Lyoya took off, running away from the officer. Schurr quickly captured him, and they began struggling on a front lawn in a Grand Rapids residential neighborhood while Lyoya’s passenger recorded the scene on a phone.

At one point during the struggle, Schurr was heard yelling "Let go of the Taser" and "drop the Taser" while he had Lyoya pinned to the ground. Seconds later, police said he fatally shot Lyoya in the back of the head.

Police said the entire incident happened in five minutes, from 8:11 a.m. to 8:16 a.m.

Schurr was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the shooting.

Prosecutors said Schurr's use of deadly force against Lyoya was not immediately necessary, while defense lawyers claimed Schurr acted in self-defense.

Schurr said he feared for his life when Lyoya grabbed his taser.