MOVING FORWARD

Ex-Cop Faces Trial for Killing of Patrick Lyoya in Michigan

The 26-year-old Black man was killed in April after a white cop pulled him over for a license plate violation.

Former Grand Rapids Officer Christopher Schurr will stand trial for a second-degree murder charge in the death of Patrick Lyoya, a judge ruled Monday, following a two-day preliminary examination. Schurr turned himself in after he was was captured on video tackling and tasering the 26-year-old, an unarmed Black refugee from the Congo, over a license plate violation in April. While Lyoya was face down on the ground, Schurr reached for his gun and shot Lyoya in the back of the head, killing him. After Monday’s hearing, Lyoya’s family said that they were still mourning him, but the ruling made them feel that things were going in the right direction, according to Detroit News. Schurr, who has been out on a $100,000 bond, claims he was acting in self defense during the altercation.