(Detroit) An independent autopsy finds that Patrick Lyoya, a black man, was shot in the back of the neck by a Michigan City police officer while he was face down, family attorneys said Tuesday. Lyoya.
Posted at 3:26 p.m.
The report from a former Detroit-area medical examiner matches what was seen last week on video released by the Grand Rapids Police Superintendent.
The official autopsy report has not been made public.
Holding a skull to show where the bullet had entered Mr. Lyoya’s head, Dr. Werner Spitz said at a press conference on Tuesday that he had no doubts about the causes of the death of the 26-year-old Congolese refugee.
Patrick Lyoya was killed on April 4 after being stopped by a Grand Rapids police officer for a traffic stop. He and the white policeman fought physically, on the ground, before Mr. Lyoya was fatally shot.
Mr. Lyoya was unarmed while the policeman was above him. On a video, we hear the officer ordering him to drop the electric shock pistol that the police officer had taken out of its holster.
“We can confirm that Patrick Lyoya was shot in the back of the neck,” lawyer Ben Crump said on Tuesday. This is now scientific proof of this tragic death and what his family believe was an execution. »
Mand Crump, who has previously negotiated multimillion-dollar settlements for the families of other black men killed by police in the United States, said Mr Lyoya could have had a “long and fruitful life”.
The death of Mr. Lyoya outraged his family as well as many people who saw the video of the confrontation with the policeman, whose identity has not been revealed.
On the video of the roadside check, we hear the policeman explain to Mr. Lyoya that the license plate does not correspond to the vehicle. Mr. Lyoya then refuses to get back into the vehicle as ordered by the policeman, and a short foot chase ensues.
The Michigan State Police will deliver their investigation report to the Kent County prosecutor, who will then have to decide whether charges should be brought.
Mr. Lyoya’s funeral is scheduled for Friday in Grand Rapids. The National Action Network, of the Reverend Al Sharpton, said it would help cover the family’s funeral costs. The Reverend will deliver a eulogy.