GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr appeared in court on Tuesday, less than two weeks before his criminal trial.
Schurr is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Patrick Lyoya, a 26-year-old Grand Rapids man who was fatally shot by the former officer during a traffic stop in April 2022.
In 17th Circuit Court on Tuesday, Judge Christina Mims ruled on a number of pre-trial motions, including one from the defense which sought to include a live taser demonstration in the courtroom, a motion which Mims denied.
"Just like I wouldn’t allow someone to come in and shoot someone in the shoulder to demonstrate that they could survive that wound, I’m not allowing a taser," she said.
During the aforementioned traffic stop, Schurr and Lyoya struggled over Schurr's taser while on the ground after the 26-year-old ran from the then-GRPD officer.
"The question is, is that taser something that would cause fear to an objectively reasonable officer? We wanted to show the jury what happens when you get tased," said Matthew Borgula, a defense attorney for Schurr.
Regarding expert testimony, Judge Mims said — if necessary — she would excuse the jury during the trial or hold a separate hearing as to determine the reliability of the witness(es) and the parameters of their testimony.
FOX 17 also spoke with the father of Patrick Lyoya, Peter Lyoya, and his civil attorney, Ven Johnson, via Zoom.
"I did not know when I came to America that it would take me this long to get justice for my son," Lyoya said. "Because I was expecting for justice to be done from the moment that my son was put in the ground."
The Lyoya family is currently suing Schurr and the city of Grand Rapids over Lyoya's death.
"There is no closure for the loss, the premature death and murder of your son. There can be no closure," Johnson said.
Johnson also claimed Schurr had fired the taser during the struggle with Lyoya and "knew it was expired" before he fatally shot him.
"That proves that Schurr reasonably could not have been in fear for his life," he said.
Given the publicity of both the criminal and civil case — including billboards put up in the Grand Rapids area — Borgula said he expects the jury selection process to be "difficult."
"I think there’s concern that people — because the video was made public — have already seen the video and drawn conclusions," Borgula said. "We don’t want people who have already made up their minds before they hear the evidence."
The trial of Christopher Schurr is set to begin on April 28. Jury selection is scheduled for April 21.
