Man killed by cop after traffic stop left Congo to find American Dream

Patrick Lyoya, 26, was killed by a Grand Rapids police officer on the morning of April 4 after what police Chief Eric Winstrom had previously described as a “lengthy struggle.” Video footage released Wednesday reveals that the officer fatally shot Lyoya in the head while kneeling on his body after pulling him over for a traffic stop.

Hundreds of people took to the streets to call for justice for Lyoya after the footage was released. NAACP President Derrick Johnson called Lyoya’s killing “horrifying, heartbreaking, and deeply frustrating,”, especially in light of Congress’s failure to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

 Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said in a statement that Lyoya immigrated to the US from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in search of the American dream and to “provide a better and safer life for himself and his family.” Lyoya was father to two young children, his family said.

Michigan State Police are investigating the shooting. The officer, whose name has not been released, has been placed on paid leave and stripped of his police powers pending the outcome of the investigation.