April 27, 2025
As the Detroit News reported on the trial of Christopher Schurr, a former Grand Rapids police office who shot and killed Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop in April of 2022, veteran criminal defense attorney Arthur J. Weiss was among legal experts pressed for comments on the case.
Noting the irrevocable impacts on both sides, Weiss commented, “At the end of the day, someone died. Then you have a person whose career, regardless of what happens (in the trial), might go out the window… There are dire consequences on both sides that will reverberate and continue to live on long after the case is over and a verdict is rendered.”
While Schurr’s defense attorneys exude confidence in their ability to prove his actions were justified, Lyoya’s family believes Schurr’s actions were characterized by an unreasonable use of deadly force. Opinions differ on the clarity and interpretation of the footage captured by Schurr’s body camera. Opening statements for the trial began on Monday.
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