1 week Ago
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The trial against former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr – charged with murder in Patrick Lyoya’s killing – will bring more security to the Kent County Courthouse. The measure, among other protocols, are because of the case’s high-profile status. Schurr is charged with second-degree murder for a traffic stop that ended when the officer shot and killed Patrick Lyoya, a 26-year-old immigrant from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
RELATED: Who was Patrick Lyoya, the Black immigrant killed by a Grand Rapids police officer? The two fought over control of Schurr’s Taser before the officer fired his weapon while on top of Lyoya. A jury has been selected, and trial testimony is set to begin Monday, April 28, in Circuit Court Judge Christina Mims’ courtroom. Patrick Lyoya, left, a 26-year-old Congolese immigrant and father of two young daughters, was shot and killed April 4, 2022 during a struggle with then-Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr, who is charged with second-degree murder.
Lyoya photo provided by Israel Siku and (MLive file photo) The Kent County Sheriff’s Office, the agency that handles security at the courthouse in downtown Grand Rapids, will have additional staff on site in preparation for an influx of people. It was after the officer’s arraignment in June 2022 that supporters of both Lyoya and Schurr clashed outside the courtroom. RELATED: Who is Christopher Schurr? Police officer awaits murder trial for Patrick Lyoya’s death The two groups were jammed in a hallway leading from the courtroom to the elevators.
Lyoya’s supporters were upset that the other side defended the officer. They told the officer’s supporters that they were justifying murder. Here are four things to know about courthouse security, per an administrative order, ahead of Schurr’s trial: All proceedings will be done in Judge Mims’ courtroom.
The maximum capacity for observers is 44 people. However, eight first row seats are reserved for Lyoya’s family and eight first row seats are saved for Schurr’s family. The remaining 28 seats are available to the public.
Seating will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis until capacity is reached. Anyone wanting a seat must wait in line outside the courtroom. A Patrick Lyoya supporter talks with a Kent County Sheriff Deputy as supporters of Christopher Schurr also gather in the hallway outside of Kent County District Court as GRPD officer Schurr appears on video arraignment on a charge of second-degree murder in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Friday, June 10, 2022.
Schurr fatally shot and killed Lyoya during a traffic stop on April 4. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com) Joel Bissell | MLive.
com Seating will be counted at the beginning of the morning session and will reset at the start of the afternoon session. No one will be allowed to stand at the back or along the side of the courtroom. Once you are seated, you will not be allowed to leave until the court takes a recess.
Courtroom spectators should refrain from wearing articles of clothing, buttons or other accessories that express support or sympathy for any matter related to the case. Those wearing such attire or accessories may be denied entry into the courtroom at the discretion of the judge and/or court security personnel. For those inside the courtroom, cell phone use is prohibited.
If a cell phone is seen or heard, the phone will be confiscated and the person using it will be removed from the courtroom and not allowed to return. Any observer who creates a visual or auditory disturbance in court may be removed from the courtroom – or building – at the discretion of the judge or court security personnel. Security may quiet or disperse members of the public outside of the courtroom to ensure they don’t disturb the proceedings.
For more of MLive’s coverage on the case, visit here . Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free “ 3@3 Grand Rapids ” daily newsletter..
