DETROIT – A Michigan police officer has been charged with murder after shooting Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head, officials said Wednesday.
City manager Mark Washington said Christopher Schur, a Grand Rapids official for seven years, waived his right to a hearing and was effectively sacked last Friday.
Schur’s dismissal was recommended by Police Chief Eric Winstrom after a charge of second-degree murder was filed on Thursday.
Washington declined further comment, taking into account the criminal case and possible trial over Loya’s death.
Schur’s attorney, Matt Borgula, said he was not representing the officer in the labor case and had no comment.
Lyoya, a black man, was killed at the end of a traffic stop on April 4. He ran and physically resisted Shoor after he failed to present his driving license.
Shur, who is white, claimed that he had control over his Taser when Lyoya shot him. Defense lawyers said the officer feared for his safety.
The confrontation and shooting were recorded on video. Schur, 31, was on leave while state police investigated the shooting and prosecutor Chris Baker decided whether to pursue charges.
Loya’s parents had long been demanding Shure’s dismissal from his job.
“Two words: About time. What took so long?” Family lawyer Wayne Johnson said. “They knew it was excessive force and they put him on paid leave while the family buried their son in the middle of the rain.”
Schur’s personnel file shows no complaints of excessive force, but great praise for the traffic stops and foot chases that led to arrests and the confiscation of guns and drugs.
He spent a night in jail before being released on Friday on a $100,000 bond.
Grand Rapids, with a population of about 200,000, is 160 miles west of Detroit.
