GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The future of the murder case against former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr remains uncertain after Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker announced he will not pursue a retrial following a mistrial.
Schurr, who was charged with the fatal shooting of Patrick Lyoya in April 2022, faced a jury trial earlier this month that ended in a hung jury. The jury was reportedly split 10 to 2 in favor of acquittal, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial.
On Thursday, Becker said he would not retry the case, explaining that another trial would likely result in the same outcome. “What it boils down to is I don’t think we reach a different verdict if I do a retrial … the jury came back deadlocked,” Becker stated.
The announcement shifts attention to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office, which has the authority to take over the prosecution. While Becker confirmed the attorney general could intervene, he noted she has never done so before and that his office has not yet heard from her.
Following the shooting, Nessel indicated she would be willing to prosecute the case if asked. At a 2022 event in Kalamazoo, Nessel said the Department of the Attorney General is often better suited to handle officer-involved shootings, citing the potential conflicts local prosecutors face when working closely with police departments.
“The Department of the Attorney General is best suited to handle these cases,” Nessel said at the time.
Lyoya family advocates have since called on Nessel to step in now that the local prosecution has ended without resolution.
In response to social media speculation during jury deliberations earlier this month, Nessel clarified that her office had no involvement in the trial. “Christopher Schurr was charged and tried by Chris Becker, the Republican Kent County Prosecutor,” she wrote on social media. “My department had no involvement.”
As of now, the decision whether to pursue the case further rests with Attorney General Dana Nessel, whose office has yet to publicly comment on the matter.
