Hung Jury In Case Of Michigan Cop Charged With Murder

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The jury could not reach a verdict in the case of former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr, charged in the April 2022 shooting death of a 26-year-old Congolese man.

On Thursday, after deliberating for more than 20 hours over the course of several days, the jury informed Kent County Circuit Court Judge Christina Mims that they could not reach a verdict, prompting Mims to declare a mistrial. Prosecutors will now have to decide whether to retry the case.

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.