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Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton to deliver the eulogy at funeral of Patrick Lyoya, who was fatally shot by Michigan police

This week, Lyoya’s family announced through their attorney, Ben Crump, that the funeral will be held at 11 a.m. ET at the Renaissance Church of God in Christ in Grand Rapids, Michigan, according to a joint release from Crump and the National Action Network (NAN).

Crump, who has represented the families of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Michael Brown and other high-profile victims of police violence, will make a call to action during the funeral services, the release said.

Sharpton and NAN have pledged to help Lyoya’s family cover his funeral costs, the release says.

Lyoya, 26, moved to the United States with his family from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2014 and “tirelessly worked to support his family,” according to the release.
Videos show the fatal police shooting of Michigan man after a struggle during a traffic stopVideos show the fatal police shooting of Michigan man after a struggle during a traffic stop

An officer from the Grand Rapids Police Department fatally shot Lyoya on April 4 after pulling him over for an allegedly unregistered license plate. The police department released several forms of video footage capturing the approximately two minute and 40 second interaction.

An autopsy commissioned by Lyoya’s family shows he was shot in the back of the head by the Grand Rapids officer, who has not been publicly identified. Lyoya wasn’t armed at the time of the shooting, according to a family attorney.
The Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) has made a request to the Justice Department to launch a “pattern-or-practice” investigation into the police department following the fatal shooting of Lyoya.

What the video shows

The footage released by the police department begins with the officer walking toward the car, CNN previously reported.

According to the video footage, Lyoya turns his back to the officer and appears to walk toward the front of the car. The officer puts his hands on Lyoya’s shoulder and back, saying “no, no, no, stop, stop,” and Lyoya is seen resisting the officer’s touch and backing away from the officer.

The officer tackles him to the ground. Video shows Lyoya getting up and standing, the officer drawing and then deploying a Taser, though police say the prongs didn’t hit Lyoya.

The two end up physically struggling on the ground once more, where the officer shot Lyoya. The officer is heard saying “let go of the Taser” before firing the fatal shot.

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