Patrick Lyoya: Grand Rapids Police Identify Officer In Deadly Shooting

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Days after the Rev. Al Sharpton demanded authorities publicly identify the Grand Rapids police officer who killed Patrick Lyoya, the police department confirmed the officer's name.

Christopher Schurr was the officer who shot Lyoya in the back of the head after a struggle, police Chief Eric Winstrom said in a statement to media outlets Monday.

Winstrom previously said police would withhold the officer's name unless he was charged with a crime, saying it was a long-standing practice that also applied to the public and city workers.

But Winstrom on Monday, citing rumors in the public, said he was releasing the name in the "interest of transparency, to reduce on-going speculation, and to avoid any further confusion."

Schurr has been on administrative leave following the April 4 shooting. He was also stripped of his policing powers until Michigan State Police completes its investigation into possible criminal charges and the Grand Rapids police department completes its internal affairs investigation into whether all department policies were followed.

"Beginning this week, as required by law, the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) will be releasing documents in response to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act relative to this incident," Winstrom added.

At Lyoya's funeral Friday, Sharpton noted that Lyoya was killed on the anniversary of the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and put Lyoya's death in the context of the national civil rights movement. Lyoya, a Black man and native of Congo, came to America in search of a better life. He "ran into an America that we know too well," Sharpton said.

"We can't bring Patrick back. But we can bring justice in Patrick's name," he said.

The release of the officer's name also comes after an independent autopsy concluded Lyoya was fatally shot in the back of the head as he laid facedown on the ground. While an official autopsy hasn't been released to the public, lawyers for Lyoya's family announced the findings last week, which were determined by Dr. Werner Spitz, a 95-year-old former Detroit-area medical examiner who has worked on big cases such as John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., O.J. Simpson, the "Night Stalker," Richard Ramirez, and JonBenet Ramsey.

The release also comes after police on April 13 released four videos of the deadly shooting, including from the police officer's body camera, dashcam, cell phone and home surveillance system footage.

Lyoya was unarmed and lying face down on the ground when he was shot. Schurr was on top of him and can be heard in the videos repeatedly demanding that Lyoya let go of the officer's stun gun.

Schurr in the video said Lyoya, a 26-year-old father of two, was stopped because of a mismatching license plate on the car he was driving. Lyoya initially refused the police officer's commands to get back in the vehicle. A short foot chase ensued followed by the deadly struggle.

“How dare you pull your gun about some car tags?” Sharpton said during his eulogy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.