A Michigan police officer who fatally shot Patrick Lioya in the back of the head had no complaints of excessive force against him, but praised the traffic stops, which found drugs, weapons and people wanted for crimes, according to his personal file.
Records released Friday by Grand Rapids police show that Christopher Schur has received more than a dozen letters of recognition since becoming an officer in 2015. Incidents sometimes start with a stop due to a missing brake light or a sudden quick turn from a driver.
“Your swift and professional actions led to the removal of another firearm from the streets and the detention of two parolees,” wrote then-chief David Rakhinski in 2017.
Complaints against Shur may no longer be in his file. The contract between Grand Rapids and the police union allows for the deletion of older records if employees spend two years without disciplinary action.
Several past incidents that brought Shur a positive confession have turned into a foot chase. A foot chase happened on April 4, when he stopped a car driven by Black Lioja and said the license plate did not match the vehicle.
Shur, who is white, and Lioya physically crossed the lawn in front as Lioja’s passenger recorded the scene on his phone.
26-year-old Lioja was on the ground when Shur shot him after he tried to remove his hand from the policeman’s tazer, according to a video.
State police investigating the shooting sent a report Thursday to the Kent County Attorney’s Office, which will investigate the charges. Chris Becker said he still needs reports on Schurr’s Taser and body-wearing camera.
A witness to the confrontation told Grand Rapids police that Schur “did everything possible to de-escalate the situation”, according to a report on the incident released on Friday, although some experts, civil rights groups and Lioja’s family strongly disagreed.
Lioja’s parents want Shur fired and charged with crimes.
Shur’s personal file, published by the Associated Press on a request for public records, reveals only a few warts. He was ordered to drive safely after causing an accident while driving his patrol car in 2021.
That same year, Shur said he stopped the car because an air freshener hanging from the mirror could obstruct the driver’s vision. A search revealed a small safe, which was later broken into by a truck driver at the request of another employee. It was part of a stolen weapon inside.
The search was considered normal by police investigators, but Shur was criticized for not reporting the broken safe, records show.
Shur’s file shows that he was appointed at the beginning of his career in the southern part of Grand Rapids, where a night shift team of seven to 11 officers was awarded the 2016 Performance Award.
Rakhinski noted more than 500 arrests for serious crimes during “countless harassment, robberies, theft of stolen cars” and other police responses, as well as no complaints from citizens of excessive force or disrespect.
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Find the full AP coverage of Patrick Lyoya’s fatal police shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/patrick-lyoya
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White reported from Detroit. Condon reported from New York.
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