Patrick Lyoya: Grand Rapids Police Release 4 Videos Of Deadly Shooting

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Grand Rapids police released graphic video Wednesday of a deadly shooting during a traffic stop earlier this month that left Patrick Lyoya dead.

Police have said an officer's gun fired on the morning of April 4 during a lengthy struggle, killing Lyoya. Police Chief Eric Winstrom said the department would release police body camera, dashcam, cell phone, and home surveillance system footage, as well as other video.

The video was released at a news conference at 3 p.m. Wednesday, which was livestreamed on the city’s YouTube channel.

City Manager Mark Washington opened the news conference Wednesday lamenting that Grand Rapids joined other cities across the country where another Black man was killed due to a law enforcement officer's use of lethal force.

"I offer my sincere condolences to the family of Patrick Lyoya, who's grieving the death of a son, a father and a brother," Washington said.

He called the video "painful to watch" and said Michigan State Police are investigating the deadly shooting. Determinations haven't been made by state police or prosecutors, Washington said.

"I urge the state police to prioritize and continue their investigation in an urgent manner," he said. "This family, the officer and our community deserve answers."

Brandon Davis, director of the city's oversight and public accountability office, said at the news conference he grieves with the community. Davis promised independent oversight into the investigation.

Davis highlighted certain items to ensure transparency and accountability, including conducting a post-incident review of the city's actions. They'll look at how long it took to release video of the shooting, how long it took to render medical aid, and whether the officer's identity should be released.

Winstrom, the city's police chief, called Wednesday a difficult day and said his heart goes out to Lyoya's family. He released a 20-minute video of the circumstances leading up to and following the shooting.

Winstrom said a Grand Rapids police officer conducted a traffic stop around 8:15 a.m. April 4 after seeing a vehicle with improper Michigan registration near Griggs and Nelson SE. The officer was working alone.

Dashcam footage inside a police vehicle showed the officer conduct a traffic stop and the driver immediately get out of the vehicle. The officer shouts, "Hey, stay in the car! Stay in the car!"

After a brief, inaudible chat in the rain outside the vehicle, the driver tries to run. The officer attempts to restrain the driver, and a struggle ensues. The driver gets free and runs behind his vehicle, heading off camera toward a row of homes. After more than a minute, a passenger in the stopped vehicle gets out as well. Shortly after that, a gunshot is heard. The officer radios that a shooting happened, and the suspect was down.

In a separate video of body camera footage, the officer tells Lyoya to get back in the car and that his plates are out of date. After he tells Lyoya to get his license out of the car, Lyoya runs. The officer gives chase, and a struggle ensues as he repeatedly tells Lyoya to stop resisting.

At one point, the officer tries to immobilize Lyoya with a stun gun. The officer's body camera deactivates shortly thereafter.

A third video taken across the street by a neighbor's home security system shows the officer struggling with Lyoya as he repeatedly yells, "Stop!"

The video appears to show the stun gun discharged. Shortly after, he seems to shout, "Let go of the Taser!" A shot rings out seconds later.

A fourth video taken by a bystander next to the struggle captures both the stun gun discharge and the shooting. The officer can be seen struggling with Lyoya and yelling, "Let go of the Taser!" After yelling, "Drop the Taser" one last time, the officer, still on top of him, shoots Lyoya in a resident's front yard. Lyoya appeared to be on his stomach when he was shot in the head.

Winstrom said police will not identify the officer's name unless he's charged with a crime. Michigan State Police are still investigating the shooting and whether it was in accordance with the department's use-of-force policy, he said. The stun gun was twice deployed, but didn't contact Lyoya, instead striking the ground, the police chief said. The struggle over the Taser lasted about 90 seconds.

Winstrom said the officer would've had to hold a button for three consecutive seconds to deactivate his body camera. The button was repeatedly pressed during the encounter.

"From the context that I can tell, it appears that the body-worn camera is turned off because of the pressure from the other individual, or some other object on his body," Winstrom said. "That will come out once the investigation is complete."

Winstrom said he would not elaborate on the officer's statements on how the camera became deactivated. Backup was called for after the officer radioed that Lyoya ran, he said.

Investigators will look into what role a language barrier played in the encounter with Lyoya, the police chief said. Lyoya is a Congolese refugee.

The officer, who joined the department in 2015, was hurt in the struggle but did not require hospitalization. He was placed on administrative leave and stripped of his policing powers pending the outcome of the investigations.

Pastor Israel Siku, a representative for Lyoya’s family, told CNN the 26-year-old was shot “execution-style.” Siku said he and Lyoya’s father were invited to review the video before the news conference, and that the father melted down after watching it.

"He almost passed out," Siku said.

Siku told members of his church Sunday: “The boy was on the floor, the cop as he lays on him, pulls up the gun and shoots him in the head and back up. Patrick did not move."

Washington, the city manager, said at the time these types of incidents are "tragic and traumatic for everyone involved.”

“While it has been a very long time since our community was forced to navigate a situation such as this, we’ve done the work up front to establish policies and procedures that ensure a transparent and just process," he said.

Dr. Stephen Cohle, the Kent County medical examiner, told WOOD-TV in a statement Wednesday afternoon he conducted an autopsy on Lyoya’s body April 4.

The report isn't available to the public yet, he said, and the office is waiting on the results of toxicology and tissue tests. The full autopsy report will not be released until after the police investigation is completed, he told the TV station.

Ahead of the body camera video release, the city manager said marches and free speech demonstrations were planned downtown over the next several days and into the weekend.

"I fully support our residents exercising their First Amendment rights," Washington said. "My staff — to include the Office of Special Events and our public safety agencies — is currently coordinating with the organizers to ensure they are able to do so in a safe and productive manner."

The city has taken "precautionary measures" around the police department, which is the focus of the protest.

"I understand these precautions may be alarming to some; I can assure you that we have no current indication of an imminent threat," he said, adding that the city doesn't anticipate threats to people or property.

Winstrom said he wouldn't be surprised if civil litigation is filed in the shooting.

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