Kent County prosecutors have authorized a charge of second-degree murder for Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr. Officer Schurr shot and killed Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop on April 4, footage of the incident was released 10 days later, sparking outrage across the nation.
According to Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker, Officer Schurr has turned himself in and is expected to be arraigned Friday. "Everyone thinks prosecutors are an arm or branch for police and we are not,” Becker said. “Our duty is pubic safety, we work with them but we don't work for them." If convicted, the 31-year-old faces up to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
“While the road to justice for Patrick and his family has just begun, this decision is a crucial step in the right direction," Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said in a statement to ABC News. "Officer Schurr must be held accountable for his decision to pursue an unarmed Patrick, ultimately shooting him in the back of the head and killing him – for nothing more than a traffic stop.”