Judge grants trial in lawsuit over Michigan officer’s fatal shooting of Black man

DETROIT (AP) — A jury will decide whether a Michigan police officer violated the civil rights of a Black man when he shot him in the back of the head, a judge said Thursday, clearing the path for a trial or settlement years after the fatal encounter was recorded on video.

A second-degree murder charge against Christopher Schurr was dropped after a jury in Kent County couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict in 2025. But he still faces a civil lawsuit by Patrick Lyoya’s family under different legal standards.

U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney suggested it wasn’t difficult to keep the case on track. At this stage, he said he had to view the evidence in a light most favorable to the family…

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