John Agar

5 days ago | mlive.com | John Agar |Bradley Massman

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr’s nine-day murder trial ended with a hung jury. Kent County Circuit Judge Christina Mims declared a mistrial Thursday, May 8. Prosecutor Chris Becker will soon decide whether charges will be refiled in the April 4, 2022, shooting death of Black motorist Patrick Lyoya after a traffic stop. Lyoya was a 26-year-old Congolese refugee and Schurr, 34, a white officer with seven years on the force.

6 days ago | officer.com | Bradley Massman |John Agar

It was a murder trial centered around a low-level traffic stop three years ago involving a white police officer and Black motorist. Tensions between law enforcement and the public were still high with the killing happening less two years after the May 2020 murder of George Floyd by a white Minneapolis police officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Like Floyd, Lyoya’s killing led to protests in downtown Grand Rapids.

6 days ago | mlive.com | John Agar

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A majority of deadlocked jurors in Christopher Schurr murder trial favored acquitting the former Grand Rapids police officer in Patrick Lyoya’s killing, his attorney said. “It was overwhelmingly in favor of acquittal and there were holdouts on the other side,” attorney Matthew Borgula said Thursday, May 8.

6 days ago | mlive.com | Bradley Massman |John Agar

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The murder trial for the Grand Rapids police officer who killed Patrick Lyoya has resulted in a hung jury. A mistrial was declared after the jury hopelessly deadlocked on the second-degree murder charge against Christopher Schurr, the police officer who has since been fired. As a result, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker will have to decide whether to refile charges against Schurr. Schurr killed Lyoya, a 26-year-old Congolese immigrant, three years ago during a traffic stop.

1 week ago | mlive.com | John Agar |Bradley Massman

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Jurors in the Christopher Schurr murder trial said Tuesday, May 6, that they are deadlocked. Kent County Circuit Judge Christina Mims brought jurors to the courtroom after they sent a note to the court. Schurr, 34, a former Grand Rapids police officer, is charged with second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter in Black motorist Patrick Lyoya’s April 4, 2022, shooting death after a traffic stop. The judge ordered jurors to continue deliberating.