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Sharpton demands name of officer at Patrick Lyoya's funeral

Police Shooting Michigan
Posted at 12:31 PM, Apr 22, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-22 14:04:14-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Mourners gathered at the funeral for Patrick Lyoya, a Black man who was fatally shot in the back of the head after a traffic stop and struggle with a white police officer in Michigan.

Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy Friday at the family’s request.

Lyoya, a native of Congo, was face down on the ground when he was shot. The results of an independent autopsy determined Lyoya died from a single gunshot wound to the back of the head.

Various angles of the shooting were captured on video.

Cellphone footage from a witness shows the officer, who has not been named, shooting Lyoya in the back of the head after telling him to let go of his taser.

"Every time a young Black man or woman is arrested in this town, you put their name all over the news. Every time we’re suspected of something, you put our name out there," Sharpton said. "How dare you hold the name of the man that killed this man. We want his name."

An investigation into the shooting is ongoing. The findings of the investigation will be forwarded to the Kent County Prosecutor's Office, which will determine whether to file charges.