The family of Patrick Lyoya is speaking out for the first time today after Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker’s decision not to retry former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr for the death of their son.
Although the criminal trial is over, legal proceedings continue. At 9 a.m. Thursday, the Lyoya family, accompanied by their attorneys Ven Johnson and Ben Crump, will hold a press conference to address the decision made a week ago not to retry Schurr.
This press conference marks the first opportunity for the family to speak directly on this matter. They are also expected to provide insights on the direction of their civil case, which is separate from the criminal proceedings.
Attorneys for the Lyoya family contend that Patrick's Fourth Amendment rights were violated due to what they describe as Schurr’s use of excessive force. Schurr shot and killed Lyoya in the back of the head during a struggle over his taser during a traffic stop in 2022. He faced second-degree murder charges, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict, resulting in a mistrial.
The civil lawsuit, filed against Schurr, seeks financial compensation and may either go before a jury or be settled out of court.
Legal expert Randall Levine of Levine & Levine Attorneys at Law explained the difference between civil and criminal cases, stating, “In a civil case — the plaintiff only needs to prove their version of events is more likely than the defendant's. That's very different from a criminal case."
Levine further noted, “The preponderance standard is basically just a tipping of the scales — more likely than not — which is substantially less difficult than proving beyond a reasonable doubt." He speculated that settlements are common in civil cases. “It’s likely like most civil cases do, that there will be a settlement before trial. Very few civil cases are tried."
Stay tuned for updates from today's news conference.
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