Law professor provides perspective on Lyoya investigation - WOODTV.com
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — As protesters called for justice for Patrick Lyoya, they also questioned what investigators are reviewing and why it seems like it’s taking them so long to release their findings.
Western Michigan University Cooley Law School Professor Lewis Langham Jr., who served 25 years with the Michigan State Police, said this investigation will take time.
Langham said MSP is starting from the beginning and is looking to see if the officer who fatally shot Lyoya engaged in a legally justified traffic stop.
“They’re going to take it from the traffic stop and every legal command that the officer gave Patrick Lyoya all the way up to the fatal shot that was fired,” said Langham. “They have a long way to go to get there; they have to have interviews with everyone that may have seen something, including the police officer himself.”
MSP is conducting the deadly officer-involved shooting investigation and will turn over its results to the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office.
Langham said MSP’s investigation will help prosecutors determine if they will charge the officer who fatally shot Lyoya.
“If other witnesses show up, they may have to do some research on Facebook posts to see if things have been posted by any of the parties involved to try and find out some information and background information about everyone involved in this,” said Langham.
He added it could also take weeks before the Kent County prosecutor decides whether to file charges against the officer who shot and killed Lyoya.
“If the officer is alleging that he had to do that if that’s going to be his argument, he has to show that there was great bodily harm coming to himself if he didn’t pull his weapon or death,” said Langham. “He’s going to have to justify why he pulled his weapon, and the prosecutor’s office is going to have to determine if that was reasonable.”
Some demonstrators have called for Grand Rapids police to release the officer’s name. Langham said that won’t happen right now. He said authorities can’t identify the officer because he has not been criminally charged.
“He hasn’t been charged with anything, and you try to protect, like juveniles and other people, that aren’t charged with any crimes,” said Langhan. “We know what happened, we saw what happened, there’s an investigation taking place, and there’s no real reason to identify the individual at this point; all that information will come out soon.”
As anxiety grows for those waiting for the outcome of the investigations, Langham encourages patience.
“I would just ask everyone to allow time; you want them to make the right decision,” said Langham. “You don’t want the decision to be made in a fast-paced way just to resolve any issues that may be in the community.”
source: https://www.woodtv.com/home/law-professor-provides-perspective-on-lyoya-investigation/
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