“This video was very difficult to watch,” attorney Ben Crump told the family at a news conference Thursday, “because what you see in this video is unnecessary, unjustified, excessive use of deadly force. You see a police officer escalating a juvenile traffic stop in a deadly execution “. The video shows a brief chase and fight for the officer’s Taser before the white officer shoots Patrick Lyoya as the Black falls face down on the ground. Peter Lyoya took his six children, including the eldest, 26-year-old Patrick, from the Congo in 2014 to escape the violence. He now says he fears he brought them to the US to die. Lyoya spoke to the Associated Press at his Lansing apartment on Thursday, a day after police released video of the fatal encounter. Patrick’s cousin Ben served as an interpreter. Peter said he came to the United States to escape the prolonged civil unrest in which many rebel groups fought to control territory in the mineral-rich eastern Congo. Patrick, who had two young children, worked at a auto parts factory in Grand Rapids and visited his siblings in Lansing on the weekends, his father said. At the April 4 meeting, the officer repeatedly ordered Lyoya to “leave” his Taser, demanding at some point: “Throw the Taser!” CLOCKS The video shows a few minutes before Lyoya’s death:
Police have released a video of Patrick Liogia being shot
Police in Grand Rapids, Mich. Have released several videos that appear to show Patrick Lyoya being shot dead from behind after a traffic jam. 1:22
Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom cited the need for transparency in the release of video collected by a passenger in Loyia’s car, a police camera, a police patrol car and a bell camera. Winstrom did not identify the officer, a seven-year-old veteran on paid leave during the investigation.
“I see it as a tragedy … It was a development of sadness for me,” said Winstrom, a former Chicago police chief who led the Grand Rapids in March. The city of about 200,000 inhabitants is located about 240 miles northwest of Detroit.
The family wants the officer named
Peter Lyoya asked for justice for his son and the police to reveal the name of the policeman. He said his son was a nice kid who never had a problem with anyone. He said that Patrick’s brothers and sisters want to know who killed him and would like to see his picture to understand that “this is the man who took our beloved”.
A still photo taken by Lyoya shows Lyoya being held face down before being shot. A lawyer for Lyoya’s family says it was an “execution”. (Grand Rapids Police Station)
The video shows Patrick Liogia running from the police officer who stopped him driving with a license plate that did not belong to the vehicle. They competed in front of many houses while Lyoya’s passenger came out and watched.
Winstrom said the race for Taser lasted about 90 seconds. At the last moment, the officer was on top of Lyoya, kneeling on his back at times to subdue him.
“From my point of view of the video, Taser was deployed twice. Taser did not come into contact,” Winstrom told reporters Wednesday. “And Mr. Lyoya was shot in the head. However, that’s the only information I have.”
State police are investigating. Kent County Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Cohle said he had completed the autopsy, but the toxicological tests had not been completed.
The traffic jam is tense from the beginning
The traffic jam was tense from the beginning. The video shows Lyoya getting out of the car before the police officer approaches. He ordered Lyoya to return to the vehicle, but the man refused. The policeman asked him if he spoke English and asked for a driver’s license. The chase started immediately after, video shows. “This was not a crime,” Crump said. “This was not even a touching violation. It was an inappropriate label, according to the allegations.” Prosecutor Chris Becker will decide whether the allegations are justified, but said the public should not expect a quick decision. Although videos “are an important piece of evidence, they are not all evidence,” he added. The officer’s body camera was turned off before the shooting, which happens when a button is pressed for three seconds, Winstrom said. He said he appears to have been inadvertently deactivated due to physical pressure during the match, but will not discuss any officer statement about it. “This will be revealed once the investigation is complete,” Winstrom said.
