Michigan Police Release Video Showing Fatal Shooting Of Black Man

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th April, 2022) Police in Grand Rapids, Michigan released video footage showing an officer shooting a Congolese immigrant in the back of the head, which has prompted calls for the policeman involved to be prosecuted.

On April 4, Grand Rapids law enforcement pulled Patrick Lyoya, 26, over because of suspected improper license plate registration, police said, before the two engaged in a lengthy struggle and Lyoya was shot.

The video police released on Thursday - consisting of body-cam, dash-cam. and cell phone footage - shows the officer involved with his arms around Lyoya before they grappled on the ground. During the struggle, the policeman repeatedly tells Lyoya to let go of the officer's Taser.

The officer then got on top of the Black man's back and pulled his handgun out. The officer told Lyoya again to let go of his Taser before shooting him in the back of the head.

Civil Rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who has been retained by the Lyoya family, after the video was released demanded that the Grand Rapids Police Chief arrest and prosecute the officer involved for killing an unarmed Black man over a "misdemeanor traffic stop."

"The video clearly shows that this was an unnecessary, excessive, and fatal use of force against an unarmed Black man who was confused by the encounter and terrified for his life," Crump said in a statement. "We demand that the officer who killed Patrick not only be terminated for his use of excessive and fatal force, but be arrested and prosecuted for the violent killing of Patrick Lyoya."

Lyoya's father Peter, and other relatives, described Patrick Lyoya's death as "execution style," as quoted by NBC.