GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Urban League of West Michigan has released a written statement on the mistrial in Christopher Schurr's second-degree murder case.
The former Grand Rapids Police officer fatally shot 26-year-old Patrick Lyoya after he tried to grab Schurr's Taser during an April 4, 2022, traffic stop. He ran from the stop on Nelson Avenue SE in Grand Rapids.
A Kent County Circuit Court judge declared a mistrial Thursday after the 12-person jury announced for a second time it had deadlocked.
This is the full statement from the Urban League:
"On April 4, 2022, our community experienced a tragedy that forever changed the lives of the Lyoya family, the Grand Rapids Police Department, and the collective spirit of Grand Rapids. That day became a defining moment—testing our values, our institutions, and our commitment to justice.
The recent mistrial in the case of former police officer Christopher Schurr has laid bare a deep and painful divide in our community. This fissure runs through the very foundation of a city striving to become a place where all people, regardless of race, background, or circumstance, can truly thrive.
For those who have long carried the burden of a criminal justice system that too often fails to serve them, this mistrial is a devastating reminder of that reality. It represents not just a legal failure but a profound moral one. Communities repeatedly asked to place their trust in the system are once again left reeling—disillusioned, hurt, and retraumatized.
This is a grave injustice the Lyoya family must now bear—not only today, but for the rest of their lives. It is a wound that also marks the conscience of every Grand Rapidian who believes in the promise of justice. Until every system—education, health, housing, economic, and criminal justice—works for all, our community cannot and will not thrive.
Let us not forget the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." An injustice to one is, indeed, an injustice to all.
The Urban League of West Michigan calls on the Kent County Prosecutor to swiftly retry the murder case against former officer Christopher Schurr without delay. Additionally, we invite the City of Grand Rapids Office of Oversight and Public Accountability (OPA) to an immediate and transparent dialogue with us and the broader community. This conversation should focus on a thorough examination of the training, policies, practices, and procedures currently in place within the Grand Rapids Police Department – particularly in instances where these actions result in a loss of life.
Our city’s future depends on the courage to confront hard truths and the will to make meaningful changes. Justice delayed is justice denied—not just for one family, but for all of us."
###