The jury deliberating the fate of a former Grand Rapids police officer confirmed to a judge Thursday morning that it was unable to reach an agreement on a verdict. Christopher Schurr faced a second-degree murder charge in the 2022 shooting death of Patrick Lyoya.
This is a case that captured the attention of folks in Grand Rapids and far beyond. At a press conference following the mistrial decision, Patrick’s family expressed disappointment in the decision, but said they are not ready to give up yet.
“We are not going to be tired until when we get the justice for Patrick," said Patrick's father, Peter Lyoya, through family friend and translator Israel Siku at a press conference after the mistrial was announced.
The Lyoya family's civil attorney Ven Johnson emphasized that the case had gone through a fair court process, even as he encouraged Becker to retry Schurr.
Michigan Public's West Michigan reporter Dustin Dwyer was in the courtroom throughout the trial. He said Kent County Prosecutor Christopher Becker made the argument that Patrick Lyoya posed no threat to Christopher Schurr when he was shot in the back of the head by the former Grand Rapids police officer.
Schurr's defense team, on the other hand, focused on the fact that Lyoya had gotten possession of Schurr's taser, and argued that meant the officer justifiably feared for his life. Ultimately, neither side managed to sway the entire jury. Dwyer said that attorneys for both side were able to speak with the jury following the mistrial decision. What the jurors told them could factor into what happens next, Dwyer added.
"Now that there's been a mistrial declared, he [Becker] still has to decide whether to refile these charges and retry the case," he explained. "And today he told us he hasn't made a decision yet. He's gonna take a little bit of time, but whatever the jury told him that might factor in."
The killing of Patrick Lyoya in 2022 brought huge crowds out to protest in downtown Grand Rapids, but today there were only about a dozen supporters of the Lyoya family outside of the courthouse on Thursday morning, said Stateside producer Michelle Jokisch Polo.
"Many of them were in tears when the mistrial decision was announced," Jokisch Polo noted.
One of the people Jokisch Polo spoke with was Deedee Grier. He said he showed up to the courthouse every day of the trial to support the Lyoya family. He was disappointed by the mistrial.
"It is a bit disheartening. It does not, though, however, in any way make me feel like we wasted our time. I think that we are right in the thick of receiving true justice. We just got to keep on fighting and waiting."
Jokisch Polo said after years of waiting for the case to come to trial, the mistrial is likely to be a major topic of conversation for Grand Rapids residents. The city has even offered free mental health support and therapists for people who need help processing the news.
"I think this is a big decision for the community, and there's going to be a lot of conversations coming from," said Jokisch Polo.
Hear the full conversation with Dustin Dwyer and Michelle Jokisch Polo on the Stateside podcast.
