© David Guralnick/Detroit News via APForensic pathologist Dr. Werner Spitz uses a chart to demonstrate the direction of the bullet that killed Patrick Lyoya during a press conference at the Westin hotel in Detroit, Tuesday, April 19, 2022. Lyoya died of a gunshot wound to the back of head after a confrontation with a Grand Rapids, Mich., police officer during an April 4 traffic stop according to Dr. Spitz.
Dr. Werner Spitz confirmed what was seen last week on video: Lyoya was shot in the back of the head while facedown on the ground during a vigorous struggle with a white Grand Rapids officer on April 4.
Spitz appeared at a news conference with lawyers for Lyoya's family, who said they believe video collected and released by police shows that the 26-year-old refugee from Congo was resisting the officer, not fighting him.
"You never see a fist, you never see a knife, no baseball bat, no gun, no nothin'," Ven Johnson said. "This was not a deadly force scenario. Never gave a warning: 'Halt or I'm going to shoot you' or other words that we can all imagine."
Spitz said he believes the gun was pressed against Lyoya's head when the officer fired, based on the condition of a bone in the head.
"There's no question what killed this young man. ... It was a powerful bullet," said Spitz, holding a skull to show where the bullet entered the head.
Spitz performed the autopsy last weekend at a funeral home. The 95-year-old forensic pathologist participated in the assassination investigations of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., among other high-profile cases.
"We can confirm that Patrick Lyoya was shot in the back of his head," attorney Ben Crump said. "That is now scientific evidence of this tragic killing and what his family believes was an execution."
The official autopsy report is part of the state police investigation and hasn't been released to the public.
Lyoya's death has outraged his family as well as many people who have watched video of the confrontation with an officer.
Crump said Lyoya could have lived until his early 80s — a "long and fruitful life." A lawsuit hasn't been filed, though Johnson signaled that one was in the works.
Crump has been involved in multimillion-dollar settlements between U.S. cities and the families of Black men killed by police. His legal team has argued that the costly deals should inspire police departments to change practices and improve their accountability to the public.
Lyoya, who wasn't armed, was killed after a traffic stop in Grand Rapids in western Michigan. The officer was on top of him and can be heard on video demanding that he take his hand off a police Taser.
Earlier, the officer, is heard saying that the license plate didn't match the car Lyoya had been driving. Lyoya declined to get back into the vehicle as ordered, and a short foot chase ensued.
Crump said it appeared to be a case of racial profiling — "driving while Black." Video released by the Grand Rapids Police Department shows the officer's patrol car backing out of a driveway in a residential neighborhood to follow the car for a few blocks. In Michigan, license plates aren't on the front of vehicles.
Police spokeswoman Jennifer Kalczuk declined to comment.
Johnson repeated his call for police to publicly release the officer's name, though he indicated that he knows the identity. Police Chief Eric Winstrom said he won't release the name unless charges are filed.
"If our client shot this officer in the back of the head, you would know his name the same day," Johnson said.
State police will give their findings to Kent County prosecutor Chris Becker for consideration of any charges. He has told the public to not expect a quick decision.
Lyoya's funeral is planned for Friday at Renaissance Church of God in Christ in Grand Rapids. The Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network said it will help cover the cost. He will deliver a eulogy.
Reader Comments
Keep a look-out for GCO
See for yourself. [Link]
Once again I truly wish we had RC here to deconstruct and illuminate but I did my best.
The problem is with people who don't just do what they're legally obliged, people who run, people who make an annoying and sometimes expensive stop into something violent instead.
Contrary to that experience, I have at one friend who was beaten and robbed by police officers on his way back to California from Tijuana.
I know many people who have had encounters with police from many walks of life who have had the same boring procedural experiences. Some of them still think cops are pigs, but those people also broke a lot of laws in their youth.
This is not to say there aren't bad cops. There are. There are too many cops who can't handle the fact that they have a dangerous job. And cities with a lot of violence are understaffed to handle that violence, and it's only gotten worse in the last two years.
I've always said that if BLM were serious about helping black lives, first, they'd address the culture that won't snitch even if they're law abiding citizens protecting murderers. Second, they'd become the biggest lobby for decriminalization of drugs in favor of treatment. The drug war puts poor people in prison, who are then used as slave labor. Slavery is still legal in the US if you are incarcerated.
It's a crazy space out there!
We also have many savy health buffs amongst us so please reach out if needed, and welcome
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Hang tough via RC [Link]
From your link elsewhere