Michigan officer charged with second-degree murder in fatal shooting of Patrick Lyoya

The Grand Rapids, Michigan, police officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop was charged on Thursday with one count of second-degree murder, reports The New York Times.

Officer Christopher Schurr, who is white, shot Lyoya, who is Black, after pulling him over in April for a license plate violation. Lyoya's killing sparked protests in Grand Rapids, where 18 percent of residents are Black.

Lyoya was a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and he immigrated to the U.S. "to pursue the American dream and provide a better and safer life for himself and his family," according to Ben Crump, a lawyer for Lyoya's family. The Associated Press previously reported that Lyoya, "who was unarmed, was face down on the ground when he was shot in the back of the head."

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Kent County prosecuting attorney Christopher Becker said Schurr acted unreasonably during the traffic stop, per the Times. Becker concluded the officer "intended to kill and was not acting in self-defense," writes The Washington Post. Schurr turned himself in and will be arraigned Friday.