PATRICK LYOYA was shot in the back of a head by a cop, becoming the latest black man to be killed at the hands of the law following a tragic shooting in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The 26-year-old dad-of-two was gunned down after being pulled over by police. But what was his criminal history?
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What was Patrick Lyoya’s criminal history?
Lyoya does not appear to have any former convictions or criminal history.
Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, he and his family came to the USA in 2014.
He had lived in Grand Rapids for about five years, according to the office of civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who is representing the Lyoya family.
Why was Patrick Lyoya being arrested?
Lyoya was stopped at around 8 a.m. near the intersection of Griggs and Nelson on the city’s southeast side.
Officials say the stop was for an improper license plate on the car of which Lloya was driving.
What happened in Grand Rapids shooting
Lyoya died Monday, April 4, following a traffic stop around 8 a.m. near the intersection of Griggs and Nelson on the city’s southeast side.
A passenger was also in the vehicle at the time.
Video footage shows that Lyoya exited the vehicle after the stop, the officer walks up him and tells him to stay in the car.
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The two appear to talk for a few minutes before Lyoya starts to walk away.
The video of the incident – which is 20-minutes long – shows the officer grabbing him and Lyoya trying to run.
The officer then chases him down and tackles him to the ground on a nearby lawn screaming at him to “stop resisting,” as he and Lyoya grapple for control.
The officer then takes out his Taser gun and fires it at Lyoya but misses, Lyoya then appears to grab the officer’s Taser gun.
The officer repeatedly tells him to “let go” of the gun, before taking out his handgun and pointing it against Lyoya’s back, while he seemingly had Lyoya face down on the ground.
He asks Lyoya to release the Taser gun again before firing a fatal shot into his head – killing him instantly.
At no point was Lyoya armed with a fatal weapon.
Following the horrific incident, his grieving father said the cop killed Patrick “execution style” adding he “would like to see him handicap than dead”.
Israel Siku, an interpreter for the family, added: “They could shoot him in the leg. They can shoot him in the back, maybe they could give a chance to call his father.
“But shoot him on the back of the head? That is inexcusable. You cannot explain that. It is an execution style. That is it.”
The officer, who is white, has been with the department since 2015. His name has not been released.
Michigan State Police and the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office are reviewing the incident, but a decision on possible charges is not expected this week
Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP called for the officer to be “held accountable.”
