People gathered on the steps of the Kent County Courthouse two years to the date from when Patrick Lyoya was shot and killed by an officer with the Grand Rapids Police Department.
The Grand Rapids police officer who shot and killed Patrick Lyoya following a traffic stop and struggle on April 4 will be charged with one count of second-degree murder the Kent County prosecutor announced Thursday afternoon.
Credit City of Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids police chief Eric Payne plans to retire next year, after two years of leading the department.
Payne first joined GRPD in 1987. He took over as the department’s first Black police chief in the summer of 2019, promising there would be changes.
By 2020, the calls for change amplified nationwide after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the killing of Breonna Taylor. On May 30 last year, a daytime peaceful protest against police in Grand Rapids gave way to a night of mayhem and looting downtown.
The city, and Payne, promised reforms at the department.
Grand Rapids City Commission holds final public hearing before budget vote
It was open to any topic related to the city budget, but every caller shared an opinion on increased GRPD funding. Author: Nate Belt Updated: 11:40 PM EDT May 18, 2021
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. Tuesday night, Grand Rapids commissioners once again heard from those who support the police and those who want to defund the Grand Rapids Police Department. The public hearing lasted more than an hour. It was open to any topic related to the city budget, but every caller shared an opinion on increased GRPD funding.
Calls came from both sides of the conversation, some in favor of defunding.