GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Judge Christina Mims told the jury in the trial of Christopher Schurr to continue deliberating on Tuesday after the jury told the judge they were deadlocked.
The former Grand Rapids police officer is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Patrick Lyoya, a 26-year-old black man whom he shot in the back of the head during an April 2022 traffic stop.
As seen through body camera and dash camera videos from the incident — as well as a cell phone video recorded by a passenger in Lyoya's car — the two had been struggling over Schurr's taser in the front yard of a residence in a southeast Grand Rapids neighborhood.
While the former officer's lawyers claim he acted self-defense, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker says Schurr's actions were not justified.
Less than a week after Lyoya's death, protesters called for racial justice in a series of large demonstrations throughout Grand Rapids. A number of reforms were later implemented within the Grand Rapids Police Department.
More than three years after the deadly shooting, a jury of Schurr's peers will now determine his guilt — or innocence — in the second-degree murder case.
The jury may also convict the former officer of voluntary manslaughter, a lesser offense.
LIVE UPDATES (Tuesday, May 6):
4:58 p.m.
A person was arrested, demonstrators say, after a group of GRPD officers on bicycles dispersed a crowd outside the courthouse. "Get back," they shouted at both protesters and supporters of Christopher Schurr.
4:45 p.m.
The jury ends their deliberation for the day. They will return at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
3:07 p.m.
Judge Christina Mims says the jury has been unable to reach a verdict.
Defense attorney Matthew Borgula motions for a mistrial.
Judge Mims denies the motion.
"This happens pretty frequently," Judge Mims says, regarding the deadlocked status of the jury.
Judge Mims reads an instruction to the jury, and tells them it is their "duty" to try and reach an agreement.
"As you deliberate, you should carefully and seriously consider the views of your fellow jurors talk things over in the spirit of fairness and frankness," Judge Mims said.
Continuing, Mims said, "Do not hesitate to rethink your own views and change your opinion if you decide it was wrong. However, none of you should give up your honest beliefs about the weight or effect of the evidence only because of what your fellow jurors think, or only for the sake of reaching agreement."
If the jurors remain deadlocked after further discussion, Judge Mims says they can submit to the clerk a list of reasons why they are unable to reach unanimity. The list would then be read and considered by the judge.
In the U.S. criminal justice system, unanimity among the jury is required for a verdict.
The jury returns to the jury room for further deliberation.
12:45 p.m.
Aly Bates, an activist, sits on a retaining wall outside 17th Circuit Court. She holds an umbrella and a sign: WHY HAVE LOCAL ACTIVISTS SPENT MORE TIME IN JAIL THAN THE KILLER COP?
"This is bigger than Patrick Lyoya," Bates says. "This is an entire system that we're fighting against, especially with the GRPD."
As more than three years have passed since Lyoya's death, Bates says the presence of protesters at Schurr's murder trial is a "testament to the resilience in this movement."
"We're not going to stand for our community members being executed in our streets," she says. "We're going to stand up and we're going to continue to fight for justice."
Regarding the testimony from the trial, Bates says she found it "interesting" a pair of GRPD captains referenced department policy and training in defense of the former officer.
“If that's their justification, then the policy clearly needs to change," Bates says. "Because this is not right. It is not right for an officer to press a gun to the back of a person's head and shoot them."
12:40 p.m.
Madeline Ring, a woman with friends and family in law enforcement, holds a thin blue line flag outside the courthouse.
"He obviously didn't want to do what he did," Ring said about Schurr, whom she does not know personally. "There's a lot of bad optics, and I think a lot of people are misinformed on what actually happened."
Ring, who has watched and read about the trial, says she wishes Judge Christina Mims would have allowed Christopher Schurr to share more about his personal life during his testimony.
"So people can understand the man and the person that he is," Ring says.
Regarding the nearby crowd of people protesting Patrick Lyoya's death, Ring references a saying oft-quoted by her grandfather.
"'Don't confuse me with the facts, my mind is made up,''' Ring said. "They don't want to have a conversation. They don't want to talk about it. They just want to condemn somebody, lock him up and throw away the key."
12:38 p.m.
WATCH: FOX 17's Sam Landstra delivers an update on the trial of Christopher Schurr as the jury continues to deliberate on Tuesday.
9:00 a.m.
Protestors of Patrick Lyoya's death clash with supporters of Christopher Schurr as both camps await a verdict in the trial.
Protesters of Patrick Lyoya’s death and supporters of Christopher Schurr clash outside 17th Circuit Court as the jury in the former officer’s second-degree murder trial continues to deliberate. pic.twitter.com/XpujSNl6Dn
— sam landstra (@samlandstra) May 6, 2025
8:30 a.m.
The jury resumes their deliberation.
6:50 a.m.
Supporters of the prosecution and defense begin to gather outside 17th Circuit Court in Grand Rapids.
Shooting death of Patrick Lyoya
MONDAY: Jury goes home without verdict in trial of Christopher Schurr
For FOX 17's previous coverage of the trial of Christopher Schurr and the death of Patrick Lyoya, click here.