Judge says record suggests shooting violated Fourth Amendment
A jury will decide whether Michigan police officer Christopher Schurr violated Patrick Lyoya’s civil rights when he shot Lyoya in the back of the head, U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney said Thursday. The ruling clears the path for a trial or settlement years after the fatal encounter, which was recorded on video.
Lyoya’s family brought the civil lawsuit under different legal standards from the criminal case against Schurr. A second-degree murder charge against Schurr was dropped after a Kent County jury could not reach a unanimous verdict in 2025.
Maloney said that, at this stage, he had to view the evidence in a light most favorable to Lyoya’s family. The ruling allows the civil case to move toward a jury decision or settlement.
“The record suggests that (Schurr) shot a man who posed no threat of violence, held no weapon, and who was under Defendant’s physical control,” Maloney said. “That violates the Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable seizures.”
The judge’s statement describes the evidence in the posture required at this stage of the civil case. The jury will decide whether Schurr violated Lyoya’s civil rights.
The civil lawsuit remains separate from the criminal prosecution. The murder charge was dropped after the Kent County jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict, while Lyoya’s family continues its case under different legal standards.
The encounter was captured on video, and the recording remains part of the legal history surrounding the case. The ruling now sets the civil case on a path toward trial or settlement.