Michigan
Michigan Supreme Court denies appeal of ex-police officer charged in Patrick Lyoya murder case
The Michigan Supreme Court turned down an appeal Monday, clearing the way for a police officer to face trial for second-degree murder in the death of a man who was shot in the head in 2022.
In a 5-2 order, the court let stand a Court of Appeals opinion in favor of the Kent County prosecutor.
Patrick Lyoya, a Black man, was killed at the end of a traffic stop in Grand Rapids. He ran and physically resisted Officer Christopher Schurr after failing to produce a driver’s license.
Video shows Lyoya was shot in the back of the head while on the ground.
Defense lawyers said Schurr, who is white, feared for his safety. Schurr claimed Lyoya had control of his Taser when he shot him. The video shows the officer demanding that Lyoya take his hands off the device.
A Grand Rapids judge said there was enough evidence to send the case to trial, a low threshold under state law. The Court of Appeals affirmed the decision earlier this year.
“We hope to move forward as quickly as possible to have a final resolution for Patrick’s family who has been patiently waiting for years for this to occur,” prosecutor Chris Becker said Monday.
Defense attorney Matthew Borgula said he was disappointed with the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear an appeal over the use of deadly force. He said a plea deal seems unlikely.
“I don’t think Officer Schurr committed a crime,” Borgula said.
Schurr, an officer for seven years, was fired by the Grand Rapids Police Department two months after the shooting.
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Dusty May is leaving Michigan for the Dallas Mavericks. What now?
Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia breaks down the “shocking” news of Michigan basketball coach Dusty May leaving for the NBA.
At the University of Michigan’s board of regents meeting on Thursday, June 25, interim president Domenico Grasso addressed the departure of former Michigan basketball coach Dusty May, calling the move a “bellwether” for college athletics.
May, who had reportedly agreed in principle to a contract extension with the Wolverines but had yet to sign it, left the program on Monday, June 22. One day later, he was in Brooklyn for the NBA Draft where his Dallas Mavericks selected his former player, Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr., with the No. 9 overall pick.
“Our current system is in dire need of clarity and equitable reform,” Grasso said at the regents meeting. “Coach May told me that among his reasons for leaving were uncertainties and pressures involving the transfer portal and NIL support for student-athletes.
“He and I agree that the future of college sports is headed in the wrong direction.”
While Grasso did say the new “Protect College Sports Act” could provide “greater stability, clearer national standards and more consistent rules” to college athletics, he also said it has “deeply concerning provisions.”
“Rather than looking to conferences such as the Big Ten as models of athletic and academic excellence, it imposes restrictions that disproportionately affect the institution,” he said. “Among the most troubling provisions are targeted limits on conference expansion and realignment, as well as harmful restrictions on student athletes’ ability to benefit from additional NIL opportunities. These measures will reduce universities and conferences’ flexibility to adapt to changing conditions for student innovative opportunities.
“We want what’s best for the Big Ten and for Michigan. We are not going to sacrifice competitive advantage that we built for more than a century. We stand ready to work with legislators on a bill that will establish a system in which every university can compete and thrive for generations to come.”
May spent just two years in Ann Arbor but made a lasting mark on the program. He went 64-13 during his time, won the 2024-25 Big Ten Tournament championship, the 2025-26 Big Ten championship and finished his time in Ann Arbor defeating UConn, 69-63, to win the national championship on Monday, April 6.
“When my family and I came to Ann Arbor two years ago, we hoped we could help bring Michigan basketball back to where it belongs,” May said in a goodbye statement to U-M. “This wasn’t an easy decision. An opportunity came along that was right for my family and something I felt I needed to pursue, but that doesn’t change how much these last two years have meant to us.
“Thank you for trusting us, believing in us and making these last two years so much fun. It was an honor to coach at Michigan and wear the Block M.”
On Tuesday, June 23, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel officially announced assistant basketball coach Mike Boynton Jr. would be appointed as interim head coach.
That set a clock for the transfer portal to open for U-M players on Friday, July 24, 31 days after Boynton’s appointment as interim.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
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