The trial of a former Michigan police officer charged with second-degree murder in the killing of a 26-year-old Black man is set to begin in Grand Rapids, three years after the case sparked weeks of protest and national outrage.

Patrick Lyoya, a Congolese immigrant who sought refuge with his family in the U.S. to flee violence in his home country, was fatally shot by former officer Christopher Schurr, who is white.

Lyoya was shot in the back of the head while facedown on the ground following a traffic stop. Schurr’s attorneys argue he acted in self-defense.

Opening statements in the trial begin Monday in downtown Grand Rapids and the trial is expected to last at least a week.

Here is what to know.

What happened?

Schurr pulled over a vehicle driven by Lyoya over improper license plates on a rainy morning April 4, 2022, in a Grand Rapids residential neighborhood.

Body camera footage and dash camera footage shows Lyoya run from Schurr after the officer asks for his driver’s license. Schurr tackles Lyoya and a struggle ensues as Schurr attempts to shoot his Taser at Lyoya.

Schurr’s body camera footage appears to show Lyoya reaching for the officer’s Taser. The body camera footage goes out before the shooting.

A passenger of the vehicle recorded a video. The cellphone footage shows the officer tell Lyoya to let go of the Taser multiple times.

While Lyoya is facedown on the ground and Schurr is on top of him, the officer takes out his firearm and shoots Lyoya in the back of the head.

Who was Patrick Lyoya?

Lyoya’s family has said he came to the U.S. to get away from prolonged civil unrest involving several rebel groups vying for control of territories in the mineral-rich eastern Congo. He was raising two children in Grand Rapids, a city of around 200,000 people located about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.

After fleeing violence back home, Lyoya ultimately joined a list of names of Black immigrants who sought better lives in the U.S. only to suffer abuse or death at the hands of law enforcement.

Before him, there was Botham Jean, Amadou Diallo and Abner Louima, all men whose cases increased awareness around the global impact of systemic racism in policing.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, the civil rights leader who eulogized Lyoya at his 2022 funeral, noted then that Lyoya was killed on April 4, the anniversary of the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Lyoya came to America in search of a better life and “ran into an America that we know too well,” Sharpton said.

Lyoya’s killing prompted weeks of protest in the west Michigan city and calls to reform the police department.

Who is Christopher Schurr?

Schurr, now 34, was fired by the police department shortly after he was charged with one count of second-degree murder in June 2022.

He had worked for the department for seven years.

Schurr has said he acted in self-defense while prosecutors say the use of lethal force was unnecessary and excessive. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.

How significant is the Taser?

The role of the Taser is likely to play a significant role in Schurr’s defense. Prosecutors have argued the Taser already had been deployed and therefore did not pose a threat to Schurr.

Tasers are generally considered non-lethal by police but the narrative often flips when handled by someone who is not law enforcement, said Ian Adams, a professor of criminology at the University of South Carolina.

Whether Schurr gave proper warning of his use of lethal force also will likely be of note to the jury, Adams said.

“In the video, you can hear the officer say, ‘Drop the taser,’ which is a command,” Adams said. “But whether or not it’s a warning that an officer is about to use lethal force is going to be contested.”

“This is a highly salient case in U.S. policing right now,” Adams said.

Charles Joe Key, who has testified as a consulting witness in police use of force in a different Michigan case, said the Taser can still cause pain and could have incapacitated Schurr even after it had been discharged. Key expected the physical struggle the two engaged in will likely be another factor of Schurr’s defense.

“Given the officer’s continued attempts to have the person quit, let go of the Taser, etcetera, then it would be a reasonable analysis by the officer that the person would continue to fight,” Key said.

___

Associated Press writer Fernanda Figueroa in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.

• Starting May 7, 2025, Michigan residents will need a Real ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card for domestic flights and to enter certain federal facilities.
• Residents can obtain a Real ID by visiting a Secretary of State branch with required documentation, including proof of identity and legal presence.

Some Michigan residents who have Enhanced licenses may be wondering if those will satisfy the federal government’s requirement to have Real ID-compliant identification in order to fly domestically; here’s what you need to know ahead of the May 7 deadline.

Beginning May 7, residents in all states will need to comply with the new travel standards of the REAL ID Act of 2005 passed by Congress.

In Michigan, a compliant Real ID license will include a star either in a circle or silhouette of Michigan; or with the U.S. flag icon on the front. Michigan’s enhanced ID’s, which allow entry to and from Canada, Mexico and Bermuda, satisfy the federal statute’s requirements.

As the deadline nears, Michigan’s secretary of state said many people are obtaining the Real ID-compliant process.

“Michigan’s REAL ID conversion rate for the week of April 7 was a record-breaking 82.8%, the Michigan secretary of state office said in an April 16 release. “The REAL ID conversion rate for the same week in 2024 was just 19%.”

As residents continue to get their Real ID’s, here’s what to know:

When does Real ID take effect?

On May 7, 2025, Michigan residents will need a Real ID to fly domestically and federal facilities under federal law.

What is the difference between a Real ID and an Enhanced ID?

“Michigan’s old license and ID design, which is being phased out by January 2029, features a star in a gold circle to indicate REAL ID compliance,” the secretary of state said. “The state’s new license design features a star in a silhouette of Michigan. Both versions of the star are acceptable.”

Here are the two main differences between a standard Real ID and an enhanced ID:

• Enhanced ID’s can be used in place of a U.S. passport for travel by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean.
• Enhanced ID’s are marked with a U.S. flag icon on the front. (some ID’s have both the star and U.S. flag)
• Enhanced ID’s include the title “ENHANCED DRIVER’S LICENSE”

A standard Real ID-compliant licenses will have only a star either in a gold circle, or in a silhouette of Michigan in the top right corner.

“State-issued Enhanced Driver’s Licenses and identification cards (EDL/EID) are designated as acceptable border-crossing documents by DHS under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative and are an acceptable alternative to a REAL ID for boarding a commercial aircraft, accessing federal facilities, and entering nuclear power plants,” the Department of Homeland Security said.

Five states that issue EDL/EIDs — Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington.

Another difference is that the enhanced ID will allow some foreign travel while a simple Real ID license is only for use domestically.

What happens if I have an Enhanced ID, but it doesn’t have a star?

Enhanced IDs with a star or flag are automatically Real ID-compliant because they meet the Department of Homeland Security standards.

“According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, TSA agents at airports will recognize enhanced licenses or enhanced IDs as valid REAL ID documents, even without the star,” the Michigan secretary of state said.

If your ID does not include either versions of the star, the U.S. flag, or the word “ENHANCED” at the top of the card then it will not be accepted as proof of identity to board the plane, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said.

How can you get Real ID in Michigan?

Book an appointment at your local secretary of state office to update your ID. Make sure you have these following documents with you:

• Your current Michigan driver’s license or ID.
• A valid, unexpired U.S. passport, birth certificate, or other proof of legal presence document.
• A certified legal name-change document, if your name is different from what is on your birth certificate.

You can book an appointment online through the state’s website or call (888) 767-6424.

Who needs a Real ID in Michigan?

Anyone planning to board a domestic flight or access federal facilities, military bases or nuclear power plants needs a Real ID. International travel will continue to require a passport, which also serves as Real ID compliant identification for domestic flights.

What are some Real ID alternatives?

TSA-approved Real ID alternatives include:

• U.S. passport
• U.S. passport card
• DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
• Border crossing card
• An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe
• HSPD-12 PIV card
• Foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• Transportation worker identification credential
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
• U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

How did Real ID come about?

Real ID compliance is part of a larger act passed by Congress in 2005 to set “minimum security standards” for the distribution of identification materials, including driver’s licenses, USA TODAY reported.

The law means certain federal agencies, like the Transportation Security Administration or the Department of Homeland Security, won’t be allowed to accept state-issued forms of identification that don’t include a Real ID seal.

Is DHS trying to build a database of our personal information?

REAL ID is a national set of standards, not a national identification card, DHS said. REAL ID does not create a federal database of driver license information.

Each jurisdiction continues to issue its own unique license, maintains its own records, and controls who gets access to those records and under what circumstances.

Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@lsj.com