Disturbing video footage released Wednesday by Grand Rapids police shows the moment a white cop shot and killed a 26-year-old Black man during a traffic stop this month. In a cellphone video, the officer can be seen struggling with Patrick Lyoya on a patch of grass, yelling at him to “let go of the Taser” as he lies on top of the man. At one point, the cop reaches for his gun, and then fires as Lyoya struggles to stand up, appearing to strike him in the back of the head. Authorities said that Lyoya had fled a traffic stop just before the April 4 shooting, and appeared to grab the cop’s Taser during an ensuing struggle. In a Wednesday statement, Kent County prosecutors said they will wait for the conclusion of the state police investigation to decide on any charges for the cop involved. “This is very regrettable,” Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington said of the footage, calling it “a very sad day in our community.” Hours after the footage was released, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Grand Rapids to march in protest of the shooting.
