The Grand Rapids Police Department in Michigan revealed multiple recordings of a deadly police shooting of Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop which provoked protests in Grand Rapids.
During a traffic check last week, Patrick Lyoya, 26, was slain by a Grand Rapids cop. Activists claimed the shooting came after years of unheeded appeals for police reform.
On April 11, police in Grand Rapids released footage of a white officer fatally shooting a 26-year-old Black man, Patrick Lyoya, during a traffic check last week.
Mr. Lyoya was lying on his back when the officer, who had not been identified, seemed to shoot him in the head. Mr. Lyoya and the police seemed to be battling for control of the officer’s Taser in the seconds leading up to the shooting.
Here Is Patrick Lyoya Grand Rapids Video On Reddit
Following a public outcry for openness, Grand Rapids police released recordings on Wednesday showing a White officer shooting a Black man named Patrick Lyoya during a traffic encounter last week.
An officer, who has not been specified, can be seen fighting with 26-year-old Lyoya before discharging his firearm into the back of Lyoya’s skull in about 20 minutes of the video provided by Grand Rapids police during a news conference.
During the battle, the footage shows Lyoya attempting to take possession of the officer’s stun gun. The officer can be heard yelling at Lyoya, “Let go of the Taser,” before firing the deadly shot and calling for assistance.
The altercation took place at 8:11 a.m. on April 4 near the intersection of Griggs and Nelson on the city’s southeast side. The officer informs Lyoya in the video that he was pulled over because his license plate didn’t match his car. Lyoya was driving the car, and a male passenger joined him.
Patrick Lyoya Shooting Footage Revealed
On Wednesday, police in Grand Rapids released video footage evidence of Patrick Lyoya, who was shot in the back of the head by an officer while facedown on the ground.
On April 4, an unnamed police officer pulled over Patrick Lyoya and a passenger for a “license plate that doesn’t match the automobile,” according to the video, which is made up of dashcam footage, body cam footage, a home security camera, and cell phone footage.
Since then, hundreds of demonstrators have flooded the streets, demanding Lyoya’s responsibility and justice. More than 100 people marched to the Municipal Commission meeting on Tuesday evening, citing a history of police violence to demanding action from city authorities.
Patrick Lyoya Family Background Analyzed
Patrick Lyoya’s family background hasn’t been disclosed yet. According to some reports, he was a Congolese refugee with two small girls.
Lyoya exits the vehicle before the officer approaches, according to the footage. The officer told him to get back in his car, asks for his driver’s license, and asks whether he knows English, which Lyoya confirms. Swahili is the family’s native tongue, according to Israel Siku, a family interpreter.
Lyoya wrestled with the officer, attempting to seize his Taser before the officer pushed him to the ground and shot him, according to the footage released by police on Wednesday. Patrick’s brother, Thomas Lyoya, said Thursday, “It was the most terrible thing I’ve ever witnessed in my entire life.”