GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The trial of Christopher Schurr is now in the hands of the jury.
Deliberations began just after 12:30 p.m. Monday, May 5, after both the prosecution and defense presented their final arguments. Schurr faces charges of murder in the death of Patrick Lyoya.
Lyoya, a 26-year-old Congolese refugee, was shot and killed by a Grand Rapids Police Officer during a traffic stop in April 2022.
The former officer, Christopher Schurr, was charged with second-degree Murder in Lyoya’s death.
Over the course of six days, 23 witnesses testified, including the officer himself. Now, it is up to the jury to determine whether Schurr is guilty or not.
Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker expressed the gravity of the situation.
“I hope we aren’t getting callous. And callous in the fact of how many times did we watch a video of another person, Patrick, dying over and over and over again,” Becker said. “This wasn’t TV; this wasn’t movies; this was a real man, a human being who was shot in the back of the head.”
The 12-member jury can play the video as many times as needed during their deliberations, as they decide the fate of former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr.
In his closing statement, Becker emphasized that while Patrick Lyoya was not a saint, he did not deserve to die.
“You don’t get to shoot somebody because they’re trying to get away,” Becker argued. “You don’t compare one’s good and one’s bad. We’ll just throw it up there. You have to base the case on the facts.”
Defense attorney Matt Borgula said the shooting was in self-defense and that Schurr feared for his life during the altercation.
The jury’s choices include manslaughter, second-degree murder, or not guilty.
“I like to equate it to you have a friend or family member who is on life support and you have to decide whether or not to take them off life support,” Borgula said. “That is how important this decision is.”
The jury reconvenes Tuesday, May 6, at 8:30 a.m.
