Overview

• Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker announced no second trial will be pursued against former Grand Rapids officer Christopher Schurr after a mistrial was declared earlier this month.
• Schurr was charged with second-degree murder for fatally shooting 26-year-old Patrick Lyoya, a Congolese immigrant, during a traffic stop in April 2022.
• The jury in the initial trial could not reach a unanimous verdict, prompting the prosecutor to conclude a retrial was unlikely to yield a different outcome.
• Schurr claimed self-defense, stating he shot Lyoya because he believed Lyoya had control of his Taser during a struggle; the incident was captured on video and shown extensively during the trial.
• The decision not to retry the case has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates and Lyoya's family, who continue to call for justice and accountability.