Patrick Lioja’s father said his son was “killed like an animal” after recent videos showed the 26-year-old black man was fatally shot by a police officer while stopping. The family fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2014 for a safer life in the United States
“I came here to save my family,” Peter Lioya told CBS News. “My son was killed like an animal.”
“The only one [who] was supposed to protect Patrick’s life, that is [who] he killed Patrick and took Patrick’s life, “he added.
Lawyer Ben Crump, joined by Lioja’s parents and a Congolese translator, called for responsibility Thursday.
“As his mother and father said, they believe their son was executed,” Crump said.
On Wednesday, the Grand Rapids Police Department released several videos showing the April 4 clash.
The policeman, who is White, pulls Lioya to drive with inappropriate license plates. Lioja gets out of her car and the policeman tells him to stay in the car, but Lioja stays out of the car.
When the police officer wants to see a license, Leah asks, “What did I do wrong?”
When the officer tells Lioja to put his hands behind his head, he resists and then runs away on foot.
The officer fights with Lioja on a nearby lawn and the two fight on the ground. The officer fired twice with Taser, but missed. Both men reach for the taser, and the officer says, “Shoot.”
The policeman’s camera goes out, but it’s not clear why. But other videos show that while on top of Lioja, the officer pulled out his pistol and fired a shot to the head.
Grand Rapids police say they will not identify the officer unless he is identified as a suspect.
City leaders are calling for calm as Michigan state police complete their investigation.
“We will seek transparency. We will seek the truth. Justice requires this issue to be addressed fairly and effectively,” Brandon Davis, director of the city’s Grand Rapids oversight and public accountability, said Wednesday.
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Adriana Diaz
Adriana Diaz is a Chicago-based CBS News correspondent and host of Saturday’s CBS Weekend News.
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