What to know about the trial of an ex-Michigan cop charged in the killing of a Black motorist

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — The proceedings of a erstwhile Michigan constabulary serviceman charged with second-degree execution successful the sidesplitting of a 26-year-old Black antheral is acceptable to statesman successful Grand Rapids, 3 years aft the lawsuit sparked weeks of protestation and nationalist outrage.

Patrick Lyoya, a Congolese migrant who sought refuge with his household successful the U.S. to fly unit successful his location country, was fatally changeable by erstwhile serviceman Christopher Schurr, who is white.

Lyoya was changeable successful the backmost of the caput portion facedown connected the crushed pursuing a postulation stop. Schurr’s attorneys reason helium acted successful self-defense.

Opening statements successful the proceedings statesman Monday successful downtown Grand Rapids and the proceedings is expected to past astatine slightest a week.

Here is what to know.

What happened?

Schurr pulled implicit a conveyance driven by Lyoya implicit improper licence plates connected a rainy greeting April 4, 2022, successful a Grand Rapids residential neighborhood.

Body camera footage and dash camera footage shows Lyoya tally from Schurr aft the serviceman asks for his driver's license. Schurr tackles Lyoya and a conflict ensues arsenic Schurr attempts to sprout his Taser astatine Lyoya.

Schurr’s assemblage camera footage appears to amusement Lyoya reaching for the officer’s Taser. The assemblage camera footage goes retired earlier the shooting.

A rider of the conveyance recorded a video. The cellphone footage shows the serviceman archer Lyoya to fto spell of the Taser aggregate times.

While Lyoya is facedown connected the crushed and Schurr is connected apical of him, the serviceman takes retired his firearm and shoots Lyoya successful the backmost of the head.

Who was Patrick Lyoya?

Lyoya’s household has said helium came to the U.S. to get distant from prolonged civilian unrest involving respective rebel groups vying for power of territories successful the mineral-rich eastbound Congo. He was raising 2 children successful Grand Rapids, a metropolis of astir 200,000 radical located astir 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.

After fleeing unit backmost home, Lyoya yet joined a database of names of Black immigrants who sought amended lives successful the U.S. lone to endure maltreatment oregon decease astatine the hands of instrumentality enforcement.

Before him, determination was Botham Jean, Amadou Diallo and Abner Louima, each men whose cases accrued consciousness astir the planetary interaction of systemic racism successful policing.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, the civilian rights person who eulogized Lyoya astatine his 2022 funeral, noted past that Lyoya was killed connected April 4, the day of the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Lyoya came to America successful hunt of a amended beingness and “ran into an America that we cognize excessively well,” Sharpton said.

Lyoya’s sidesplitting prompted weeks of protestation successful the westbound Michigan metropolis and calls to betterment the constabulary department.

Who is Christopher Schurr?

Schurr, present 34, was fired by the constabulary section soon aft helium was charged with 1 number of second-degree execution successful June 2022.

He had worked for the section for 7 years.

Schurr has said helium acted successful self-defense portion prosecutors accidental the usage of lethal unit was unnecessary and excessive. If convicted, helium faces up to beingness successful prison.

How important is the Taser?

The relation of the Taser is apt to play a important relation successful Schurr's defense. Prosecutors person argued the Taser already had been deployed and truthful did not airs a menace to Schurr.

Tasers are mostly considered non-lethal by constabulary but the communicative often flips erstwhile handled by idiosyncratic who is not instrumentality enforcement, said Ian Adams, a prof of criminology astatine the University of South Carolina.

Whether Schurr gave due informing of his usage of lethal unit besides volition apt beryllium of enactment to the jury, Adams said.

“In the video, you tin perceive the serviceman say, ‘Drop the taser,’ which is simply a command," Adams said. “But whether oregon not it’s a informing that an serviceman is astir to usage lethal unit is going to beryllium contested.”

“This is simply a highly salient lawsuit successful U.S. policing close now,” Adams said.

Charles Joe Key, who has testified arsenic a consulting witnesser successful constabulary usage of unit successful a antithetic Michigan case, said the Taser tin inactive origin symptom and could person incapacitated Schurr adjacent aft it had been discharged. Key expected the carnal conflict the 2 engaged successful volition apt beryllium different origin of Schurr’s defense.

“Given the officer's continued attempts to person the idiosyncratic quit, fto spell of the Taser, etcetera, past it would beryllium a tenable investigation by the serviceman that the idiosyncratic would proceed to fight,” Key said.

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Associated Press writer Fernanda Figueroa successful Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.