What Happened To Patrick Lyoya?

Grand Rapids man was shot in the back of the head by a cop.

Be warned the video and images are graphic. Take discretion in viewing.

The Michigan State Patrol, Kent County Sheriff and the Grand Rapids Police are investigating a deadly officer involved shooting of a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The man was shot at point blank range in the head. 

The Grand Rapids cop shot him while he had him pinned down.

His family and Benjamin Crump are demanding justice and a prosecution of the cop.

Tensions are bubbling up in the city of 204,000.

Patrick Lyoya, 26 years old and a father of two, was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop on April 4. Police have not identified the specific reasons for the stop, but indicated Lyoya’s license plate was not registered to the vehicle he was driving at the time. The cop is a 7 year veteran.

The officer pulled Lyoya over around 8:11 a.m. after realizing that the plate on the car he was driving didn’t match the vehicle. GRPD has not said why the officer ran the plate.

Newly released video shows a Grand Rapids (MI) police officer shooting unarmed 26 yo Patrick Lyoya while he was on the ground & facing away from the officer! Patrick never used violence against this officer even though the officer used violence against him in several instances. pic.twitter.com/5vNSWDYUpz

— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) April 13, 2022

Patrick Lyoya, a 26 yr old Black man, was killed outside a house in Grand Rapids, MI. He was face-down on the ground when he was fatally shot in the back of the head by a police officer after a traffic stop, foot chase and fight over a taser. pic.twitter.com/FnGPBDkxiF

— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) April 14, 2022

Dashboard camera and body camera video shows that as soon as he stopped Lyoya, Lyoya got out of the car. The officer told him to get back in the car, but Lyoya didn’t. The officer asked him if he had a license. Lyoya seemed confused. The officer asked if he spoke English. Lyoya said he did. The officer asked again for his license. Lyoya asked what he had done wrong. The officer told Lyoya the plate didn’t match the car and repeated that he wanted to see his license. Lyoya opened the driver’s side door of the car and asked someone inside for his license. It’s unclear whether or not the passenger could find the license, but Lyoya closed the door without getting it.

When Lyoya stepped away, the officer tried to stop him. Lyoya then ran away and the officer gave chase, reporting that over his radio. A long struggle ensued in the front yards of houses, with the officer trying to hold Lyoya down but Lyoya repeatedly trying to get back up. After about 30 seconds, the officer called for more cars.

In the video, the officer is seen atop Lyoya, struggling to hold him down. The officer can be heard telling Lyoya to “stop” and “stop resisting.”

The officer drew his Taser. The bodycam video shows Lyoya grab for it as the sound of it deploying can be heard.

GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom said his understanding is that the Taser was deployed twice but did not actually make contact with Lyoya; both times were into the ground.

The cop tries to restraint Lyoya but ends up shooting him.

In the doorbell surveillance video, the officer can be heard repeatedly telling Lyoya to let go of the Taser.

The cellphone video shows the officer, still atop Lyoya and trying to hold him down, pull his gun. Once more, he tells Lyoya to let go of the Taser. Moments later, a single shot is fired.

The video shows the officer backing away from Lyoya and reporting the shooting over his radio.

In all, the video shows, it was about four and a half minutes between when Lyoya got out of the car and when the shot was fired. It was about one minute between when the Taser can first be heard deploying and when the shot was fired.

Winstrom said Lyoya was shot in the head. The chief noted he did not have the full autopsy report, which is not yet done.

GRPD says it has nine source videos, including four from the doorbell camera. Its release of video shortened some of those sources so as not to include the aftermath of the shooting, which the department said “was done to expedite their public release in the interest of transparency.”

Jimmy Barwan, also an immigrant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said he had been friends with Lyoya for 14 years and treated him like a brother. He wondered why the officer drew his gun.

Grand Rapids Police release five camera views.

“They got somebody on the ground; they got somebody on the ground already sleeping. Why couldn’t you just handcuff him or something,” Barwan told News 8 after watching the video. “Yes, I understand there was a Taser and I know all that stuff, but why not use any other legal force, you could’ve called for backup, anything.

“Why shoot him? Why kill him?” he continued. “What did he do to deserve that? And he was unarmed, no gun.”

He said he was overwhelmed by grief.

“I’m feeling a lot of emotions and it really hurts, it pains me, every time I keep talking to you, I keep seeing his face. I keep replaying moments that we had dancing and all that. It breaks me,” Barwan said. “How am I supposed to raise my kids here? And I don’t have no kids yet, but how can I trust that they’re going to be safe out here?”

Do you believe the grand jury will acquit the cop?

Yes

No

Every community in the United States will eventually have a legacy. A legacy of tragedy. Gun violence and COVID-19 will affect your town, your family and your life. So I don't want to hear that bullshit about how gun reform is taking away your rights to own firearms. 

I don't want to hear that protesting against police killing people of color is hate on cops in general. I don't want to hear talk about the coronavirus being a myth. 

When you hear folks say "gun rights," what they really mean is that its white privilege.  

I don't want to hear folks say masks and vaccine mandates impede their freedoms. It prevents a deadly outbreak from spreading. If you want to die from the coronavirus, that's on you.

I don't want to hear the shit about guns saving lives. Cause a bullet does not have eyes and it's always likely gonna hit a target. These folks seem to not get it. These incidents are a tragic part of American history. Thoughts and prayers and your heart going out to the victims is not enough. It quite frankly is an insult.

President Joe Biden is trying to curb gun violence. However, he has no support from Republicans. Most Democrats and America are for gun control measures. However the two Democrats in the Senate refuse to change the filibuster rules and its holding us back. 

The National Rifle Association is always pushing against it. They will not relinquish from the narrative that guns are not saving lives. The Republicans aided by a fickle junk food media are openly encouraging anarchy and disruption in a desperate attempt for the Republicans to win back Congress and the White House. These agitators are calling for Biden to curb crime but will not help him. They want more guns on the street. It makes no sense.

So in closing, expect more.

The website Officer Down is a memorial to those who were killed in the line of duty. Those who don't get their names mentioned in the junk food media. Also the website the National Gun Violence Memorial also keeps record of the many individuals killed by gun violence. 

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The deaf and hard of hearing can contact the Lifeline via TTY at 1-800-799-4889. All calls are confidential. Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about a friend’s social media updates or dial 911 in an emergency. Learn more on the Lifeline’s website or the Crisis Text Line’s website.

GUN VIOLENCE IS THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM IN THE UNITED STATES!