Mourners will gather at the funeral for Patrick Lyoya, a Black man who was fatally shot in the back of the head after a traffic stop and struggle with a white police officer in Michigan.
The Rev. Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy at the family’s request. Their lawyer, Ben Crump, also will speak at Renaissance Church of God in Christ in Grand Rapids.
An unarmed Lyoya, a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was face down on the ground when he was shot April 4. The officer, whose name has not been released, was on top of him and can be heard on video demanding that he take his hand off the officer’s Taser.
Earlier, the officer is heard saying that the license plate did not match the car Lyoya had been driving. Lyoya, a 26-year-old father of two, declined to get back into the vehicle as ordered, and a short foot chase ensued before the deadly struggle.
State police are investigating the shooting that has sparked protests. The agency will forward findings to Kent County prosecutor Chris Becker for consideration of any charges. He has told the public to not expect a quick decision.
Attorneys for the Lyoya family have said they believe video collected and released by police shows was resisting the officer, not fighting him. His parents have called the shooting an “execution.”