Detroit Evening Report, April 19, 2022: Attorneys for Patrick Lyoya’s family release results of independent autopsy
Dr. Werner Spitz, a world-renown forensic pathologist and Wayne State University professor, concluded that Patrick Lyoya was shot in the back of the head by the Grand Rapids police officer while being restrained on his stomach.
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The attorneys for Patrick Lyoya’s family released the results of an independent autopsy Tuesday. The motorist was killed by a police officer on April 4 during a struggle after a traffic stop in Grand Rapids. Lyoya was Black. The officer was white. Attorneys Ben Crump and Ven Johnson are representing the family. During a morning news conference, Crump said there should be no dispute about the cause of death. “Based on scientific evidence, we can confirm that Patrick Lyoya was shot in the back of his head.” Crump also served as an attorney representing George Floyd’s family after Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police in May 2020. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights has asked the federal government to help investigate Lyoya’s death. The struggle and the shooting were captured on video.
Other headlines for April 19, 2022:
- James Craig submits over 21,000 petition signatures in an effort to make it onto August ballot
- The city of Detroit approves plan to give mothers and fathers parental leave
- Detroit’s new adult-use marijuana ordinance takes effect Wednesday
- Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy says the state has doubled its recycling rate since 2019
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