GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Patrick Lyoya’s supporters on Friday, June 10, clashed in the hallway of a court with Christopher Schurr, the Grand Rapids police officer who shot dead Lyoya.
Lyoya supporters chanted “Justice for Patrick” and shouted at Schurr supporters as they walked out of a Grand Rapids courtroom where Schurr, 31, was on trial for second-degree murder in the deadly shooting of Lyoya.
“We’re tired of being killed,” a man shouted.
A judge set $ 100,000 bail for Schurr and, according to a statement at 4.45pm on Friday at the Calhoun County Jail, released the bail and he was released. Schurr was housed there, instead of the Earl of Kent Prison, due to the protocol for not housing an officer imprisoned in the area where they serve.
The two groups were stranded in a hallway leading from the courtroom to the elevators. Lyoya’s supporters, who were waiting in the hallway during the trial, were upset because the other side was defending the agent. They told supporters of the officer that they were justifying the murder.
“Do you get it in the back of your head?” said a man as Schurr supporters passed by. A man tried to argue with a Lyoya supporter who called him.
As Schurr supporters passed by, a man said, “All these people posing in T-shirts that say, ‘Stand with Schurr,’ are probably wrong. The murder was happening on the streets of Grand Rapids and will not be accepted. the murder. Justice for Patrick “.
Schurr, who appeared via a video from the Calhoun County Jail, was tried in a courtroom full of fans, some in T-shirts that said, “Back the Blue.”
Michael Winger, a member of Schurr’s extended family, came forward to support the officer.
“I think he’s getting a bad reputation for all of this. You have someone who has invested his life in doing good to the community. I mean, he’s an exceptional citizen,” he said. “He is now on the other side of the fence, in prison, trying to do good. I don’t think that’s right.
“He didn’t wake up thinking he was going to kill someone that day. He woke up trying to do good to the community,” Winger said.
“If the boy hadn’t run, none of that would have happened,” he said.
Winger said he was encouraged by Schurr’s show of support at the courthouse. He wasn’t surprised either.
More than 60 people, including some Grand Rapids uniformed police officers, appeared outside the courtroom before appearing. Others packed their seats in the living room.
Many wore T-shirts with the Grand Rapids Police Officers Association logo.
“I love it,” Winger said. “He’s a good guy. I’ve known him for a long time. He was a missionary. He has a lovely wife. That’s very bad.”
One of Schurr’s lawyers, Mark Dodge, said the murder was justified and that his client was not guilty of any crime.
Dodge urged District Judge Nicholas Ayoub to set a reasonable bail. He said Schurr had never been in trouble before and that there was no risk of flying. He is a lifelong resident of Kent County and was handed over once the charges were filed.
A judicial service worker, who conducted a background check, did not object to a bail in the case. Ayoub set a bail of $ 100,000.
Schurr, who wore a mask, said he understands the charges and their constitutional rights.
The shooting took place during a traffic stop that began around 8:10 a.m. on April 4, on Nelson Avenue SE north of Griggs Street. The agent stated that Lyoya’s license plate did not belong to her car.
Lyoya ran away from the officer and then fought for his Taser before being shot in the back of the head with the officer on top of him on the ground. Schurr’s lawyers, including Matthew Borgula, say he shot Lyoya after Lyoya took his Taser.
After the appearance, protesters demanding justice for Patrick Lyoya followed Schurr supporters, including family, friends and comrades, back to the Grand Rapids police department, where they continued to clash.
A protester was arrested after the clash at the center’s police department on Friday afternoon, GRPD spokeswoman Jennifer Kalczuk confirmed.
Kalczuk said the woman was arrested with a pending order, but could not say what the order was for before publication.
One of the protesters inside the court, Cristian Bartolo, said that he and others went to Schurr’s appearance to show support for Patrick Lyoya’s family, so as not to cause any inconvenience.
He said he was surprised to see the number of Schurr sponsors outside the room and noted that many were police officers. Bartolo said he wanted police reform and believed that going to Schurr’s appearance was a way to show his position.
“There are a lot more changes that need to be made, and for that to happen, we need to stand up for this kind of thing and show the agents that they believe they have the power to do what they want, that we are not. scare us, we are not afraid.
“We will fight against your racism, your brutality, your abuse of power,” he said.
MLive’s Joel Bissell and Melissa Frick contributed to this story.
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