An independent autopsy conducted on the body of 26-year-old Patrick Lyoya found that he had been shot in the back of his head by a Michigan police officer.
Forensic pathologist Werner Spitz conducted the autopsy, the results of which were released less than a week after the public disclosure of video footage by the Grand Rapids Police Department showing a police officer lying on Lyoya before fatally shooting him during a traffic stop on April 4.
“Today, based on scientific evidence, we can confirm that Patrick Lyoya was shot in the back of his head,” said Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the family, said during a press conference Tuesday, according to CNN.
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Lyoya “died as a result of a single gunshot wound with entrance wound in the back of the head,” Spitz said during the press conference. While Lyoya was shown to be held down by the police officer, he was “conscious and aware” that a gun was being held to his head, according to Spitz’s report as read by Crump.
The police department released videos of the incident on Wednesday after Chief Eric Winstrom had promised to release footage captured from a body camera, a camera inside a patrol car, a cellphone, and a surveillance system from a nearby home.
Lyoya was pinned to the ground by the police officer after he attempted to run away after he had been pulled over, the video footage shows. After a struggle between the two, the police officer can be seen discharging his Taser while Lyoya is pinned to the ground and repeatedly telling him to let go of the Taser, according to cellphone footage from the passenger in Lyoya’s vehicle. The officer can then be seen pinning Lyoya down again and pulling his gun out before shooting him.
The death of Lyoya, a black man, has prompted protests in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as well as calls for the officer to be fired and charged. Lyoya’s family members have accused the police officer of killing him “execution-style,” according to NBC News.
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The death certificate containing the cause and manner of death has been prepared, though it has not been released. Kent County Chief Medical Examiner Stephen Cohle said the report would not be completed and released until the toxicology and tissue results had been received by a laboratory and after the Michigan State Police had concluded its investigation, according to a bulletin Wednesday.
The officer involved in the incident has been placed on leave and has had his police powers suspended. Winstrom said last week that the officer would not be identified unless faced with charges.
