Chief Winstrom is now saying that Patrick Lyoya was killed because the GRPD was understaffed
It has been a week since the Judge announced a mistrial in the legal proceedings against the former GRPD cop who killed Patrick Lyoya. On Wednesday there were two different gatherings to talk about next steps in finding justice for the Lyoya family.
During Tuesday night’s Grand Rapids City Commission meeting, there were dozens of people who spoke during public comment denouncing the recent behavior of the GRPD, especially during the Schurr trial and their actions during the Cosecha May Day march and the march after a mistrial was announced.
Just minutes before the 7pm Grand Rapids City Commission meeting, WOODTV8 ran a story that was crafted by GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom, a story that was a calculated PR stunt. Winstrom has been working overtime to control the narrative around the GRPD, claiming that he has regained the trust of the community when it comes to the GRPD.
This story that aired on WOODTV8 was simply another pre-emptive attempt to win over public support for the GRPD, with Chief Winstrom playing his role as the snake oil salesman. Winstrom had the audacity in this channel 8n story to make the claim that had their been more cops in the police force, Christopher Schurr would not have had to shoot Patrick Lyoya.
On top of that, the WOODTV8 story used commentary from Christopher Schurr’s trial, where Schurr is talking about hoping for backup on the day he shot Patrick Lyoya. By crafting this story, on could say that Chief Winstrom is brilliant, but I would also call him diabolical. Diabolical in the sense that he willingly knows that this claim is meant as a justification for why Schurr shot Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head. Chief Winstrom never comes out and says it, but it is clear that this is what he is implying.
Here are 5 reasons why Winstron’s claim that Schurr would not have killed Patrick Lyoya if there were more cops available that fateful day is just plain ridiculous.
- An expert that Kent County Prosecutor used during the Schurr trial made it clear that there were multiple things that Schurr could have done after pulling over Lyoya. This expert testified that Schurr did not have to chase after Lyoya when he fled initially. Lyoya was stopped because his car registration had expired.
- Schurr could have waited for back up, that would have allowed for the possibility that Lyoya would be willing to cooperate.
- Schurr could have gone to Lyoya’s home later that day to speak with him and find out why he was driving with an expired car registration.
- Schurr did not use de-escalation tactics. In fact, Schurr escalated the situation.
- The GRPD have been facing a crisis of legitimacy in recent years, thus offering justifications for what they do, even shooting unarmed civilian, is an opportunity to argue why we need cops and more of them. The excellent report by Interrupting Criminalization provides important data and an analysis that dismantles Chief Winstrom’s claim. In fact, this report makes it clear that cops rarely prevent violence.
In my own research looking at local news coverage around crime and public safety, I found that the GRPD rarely prevent crime. In the 673 stories that centered around crime, there were only 11 stories about the GRPD actually preventing crime, which means in most of the stories the GRPD showed up after a crime had been committed.
A couple of other things that Chief Winstrom said in this story was, first, “We’ve turned around the culture around where elected officials aren’t afraid to compliment us anymore.” I read this as elected officials don’t want to be critical of cops anymore for fear of smear campaigns and character assassination from pro-cop organizations and cop unions. In Grand Rapids, the GRPD union has provided campaign funding for people like City Commissioner Robbins, who received $10,000.
The second this that Winstrom said was They (City Commission) did a fantastic job recognizing we need the police department,” he added. “We’re not in a position where we can abolish the police, get rid of the police, that world doesn’t exist.” Of course Winstrom is an apologist for policing, but he also demonstrates that he does not practice radical imagination, like imagining a world where people are shot by cops during a traffic stop. By making the point about the world of abolishing the police doesn’t exist, means that he is telling the Movement for Black Lives, Angela Davis, Miriam Kaba, Robin D.G. Kelley, and countless community based groups that they are wrong, or more accurately, Winstrom is telling them to fuck off.
On May 16, Movimiento Cosecha Michigan and GR Rapid Response to ICE will be hosting a meeting to talk about upcoming actions and campaigns to further the struggle for immigrant justice.
Even if you didn’t participate in the recent May Day march, the Cosecha cultural event or the Salsa Shutdown, you are more than welcomed to attend the People’s Assembly.
I asked Cosecha organizer Gema Lowe about the importance of the People’s Assembly, and she said:
“Movimiento Cosecha Michigan in collaboration with GR RR to ICE are organizing the People’s Assembly where we will discuss the next steps on the immigrant resistance.
Our Immigrant communities are getting organized across the country when our love ones are getting kidnapped by ICE. The greater GR area won’t be the exception and we will continue fighting for immigrant rights.
We say:
YES to Papers for All
YES to driver’s licenses in Michigan
YES to Sanctuary
and
NO to REGISTRATION
NO to DEPORTATIONS
NO to ICE and DETENTION CENTERS”
The People’s Assembly will begin at 5pm in the Linc Up Gallery, which is right next to the Linc Up office, located at 341 Hall St. SE in Grand Rapids.
Editors Note: The fact that Episode #6 aired on Tuesday night, while people were at the Grand Rapids City Commission meeting to verbalize their disgust of the GRPD and the GRPD’s repression of people pushing back against the system, is worth noting. You can also see my deconstructions of the previous 5 episodes at this link.
Episode six begins with audio from a 911 call, where someone has just heard gunshot. According to the All Access PD: Grand Rapids series, they only investigate gun violence, which is a very small part of what the GRPD actually does.
The episode quickly resorts to body cam footage of a young African American who was just shot, while her sister is heard screaming and being restrained by the GRPD from getting to her sister’s body. This was nothing but trauma porn, and a disgusting display of what the GRPD and the producers of the show wanted to communicate.
The scene cuts to Chief Winstrom talking to the camera saying he is shocked that it is a 15 year old girl and that he is, “emotionally invested in this case.” Always the PR guy. Winstrom again shows up and says his primary concern is to be there for the family.
The GRPD get the video footage from the scene and the person who was the shooter is a young African American male.
For the next few minutes the GRPD is then seen talking with the parents of the victim. Why would they use these grief stricken parents at this moment?
GRPD cops then pontificate and shake their heads over why people would not want to talk to them. This is all happening while Chief Winstrom does the voice over in the introduction of this TV series, where he says he is building community trust. Please.
Then scene cuts to another shooting in the southeast part of GR, where you see lots of cops with weapons drawn and they bring out several young Black people, whom they are treating as suspects. At one point, a Black cop is reading the rights to a young Black suspect.
The GRPD then seeks out Jemar Sterling, who does violence prevention work with urban youth, who says that people in his family aren’t happy that he is talking to the cops.
The next scene uses GRPD body cam footage of cops charing a young Black man, which just happened to be the primary suspect in the shooting that this episode is centered around.
The GRPD then hosts a Press Conference, which leads to a call identifying someone who was a witness. The cops then interviews the witness, who identifies a suspect, which leads to the GRPD gearing up to go after the suspect. The cops surround a home and the suspect finally comes out with his hands up. The suspect is a young Black male.
The next scene is two white cops interrogating a young Black male, with one of the white detectives providing commentary for the viewers. The Black suspect is then charged with second degree murder, while the detective is seen calling the victims mother, saying, “this was a good day.”
The episode ends with members of the victim’s family holding a celebration for the girl who was killed, which included releasing balloons.
With this week’s episode, it communicates that the only shooters and victims are BIPOC,, plus some of the video footage used communicates the message that there are Black gangs roaming the streets of Grand Rapids. This show will definitely contribute to fostering and maintaining stereotypes about Black people, since the audience will no doubt be predominantly white. Once again, I’m still waiting for the episode showing how the GRPD monitors community organizers and organizations to suppress any form of dissent against those challenging systems of power and oppression.
Another long line of people formed for the public comment period at the Grand Rapids City Commission. People talked about how the GRPD harassed and abused people during the Schurr trial and after the judge called for a mistrial.
You can watch of the public comments at this link, with the public comment period beginning at 31:50 into the meeting. More importantly was the responses from Grand Rapids City officials, which begins at 1:44:00 into the meeting, beginning with Commissioner Ysasi.
Commissioner Ysasi – spoke for 12 minutes, but didn’t really say much. However, she did want to promote the idea of the civilianization of the GRPD. What is that you say? It means that some jobs that were previously done by cops are now being done by civilians. This is really a misdirection by Commissioner Ysasi, since it not only fails to acknowledge that the GRPD has been adding new officers over the past 2 years, but more importantly, it diverts public outrage over the way that the GRPD has been criminalizing and repressing those who dissent.
Commissioner Perdue – spoke for 2 minutes and 15 seconds. Wants to expand the OPA, even review of use of force incidents.
Commissioner Belcak – spoke for 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Also talked in circles a bit, but spent the most time promoting the 175th anniversary of the City of Grand Rapids.
Commissioner Robbins – spoke for 45 seconds with words like both sides, respect and forgiveness. Robbins received $10,000 from the GRPD union in 2022 and he was implicated in the smear campaign against his opponent in 2022, along with the campaign against another candidate in 2024.
Commissioner Knight – spoke for 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Gave props to Chief Winstrom for having a conversation with her and reveal that she has a son who is a cop.
City Manager Washington – spoke for 3 minutes and primarily highlighted the upcoming Public Safety Committee meeting, where Chief Winstrom and the OPA can tells us about the exciting things they are doing.
Mayor LaGrand – spoke for just under 2 minutes. LaGrand says he spent most of his adult life making the justice system better, but provides no evidence of how he has done that. He also said as a community we can always do justice better, we can always improve our culture and our community. The Mayor’s words were another misdirection, thus avoiding talking about the City’s responsibility and the policing, both systems of power and oppression.
In Part I, I revealed the statements that came from police unions, police apologist organizations and Grand Rapids City officials. Today, I want to look at some of the response to the mistrial of Schurr from those who are supportive of/sympathetic to the Lyoya family.
In Part II, I included statements of solidarity, sympathy and collective grief with the Lyoya family. Today, I want to talk about an abolitionist response to policing, and what Alec Karakatsanis, the author of the new book Copaganda: How Police and the Media Manipulate Our News, calls the, “Punishment Bureaucracy.”
However, before talking about abolition the police, also known as state violence workers, it is important to talk about a recent Executive Order from the Trump Administration that has to do with policing. It is called, Strengthening and Unleashing America’s Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Citizens. This Executive Order will provide even more freedom for cops to intimidate, harass, jail people in the US, along with providing additional protections for them.
A recent article from the Intercepted states:
The executive order calls for “military and national security assets” to assist in local policing, directs federal resources and protections for state and local law enforcement, and enhances police protections, among other proclamations. But it reflects a deeper ambition.
“He wants more federal militarized law enforcement under his thumb instead of under the thumb of governors or mayors,” says Balko. “He wants to use them to help with immigration deportations. He wants help with cracking down on protest.” And the concern and fear, says Balko, is that Trump will also “use law enforcement to go after his critics and people he perceives to be his enemies.”
I wanted to include this information to say that the standard reformist approaches to policing will not only be completely inadequate, and reforms will only solidify and further legitimize state violence.
This is exactly why the Movement for Black Lives was calling for the Defunding of the Police after the George Floyd protests all across the US. To be clear, defunding the police is the first step to the abolition of policing as we know it.
The City of Grand Rapids has submitted their 2026 Budget proposal, which includes $69,096,436.00 for the GRPD. You can see (above) how the amount for the GRPD will continue to grow and by 2030, they will receive nearly $80 million in public money to manage and control this community.
Using Radical Imagination for the Abolition of the GRPD
Now, no one is expecting that the GRPD will go away tomorrow or anytime soon. However, if we want to see the GRPD, a known institution of oppression, to be dismantled, then we need some kind of a proposal/plan to make that become a reality. What I am proposing is just an idea, it is not the only idea and it may not even be the right idea. However, we have to begin with an idea to start down the path of actually working towards the abolition of the GRPD.
Imagine what kind of an impact that $370 Million would have over the next 4 years if the GRPD was defunded and we used that money to invest in community. Considering these numbers, think about how $370 Million over a four year period could contribute to things such as:
- Housing costs – both home ownership and rent
- Health care costs, including preventive care
- Educational scholarships
- Food security
- Transportation costs
- Environmental Justice projects
These are just some of the ways that divesting from the GRPD and investing in the Black community could radically alter the lived experience of the very community that has disproportionately been affected by policing in Grand Rapids.
Lastly, the $69,096,436.00 that currently goes to the GRPD is annually. Imagine how that kind of funding could be used to invest in community, or that money could be directed towards BIPOC communities in general, as a form of reparations for the historical exploitation, police abuse, drug war, land theft, etc. that BIPOC communities have experienced since the founding of Grand Rapids. We all can radically imagine how things would be different if such a plan were enacted, so why limit ourselves to the unimaginative notion of simply reforming the cops? Lets work to actually abolish the police and practice the principle that we take care of us!
I am excited to share with people who follow this blog, that I will be coming out with another book in the fall, one that is based on my experiencing of doing solidarity and accompaniment work in Latin America and here in West Michigan. Below is the introduction for the forthcoming book.
“Fray Diego de Landa throws into the flames, one after the other, the books of the Mayas. The Inquisitor curses Satan, and the fire crackles and devours. Around the incinerator, heretics howl with their heads down. Hung by the feet, flayed with whips, Indians are doused with boiling wax as the fire flares up and the books snap, as if complaining. Tonight, eight centuries of Mayan literature turn to ashes.”
Memory of Fire: Volume 1 – Genesis, Eduardo Galeano
In January of 1992, just days before the ceasefire in El Salvador, I was sitting in the Central Plaza watching the crowds of people with my traveling partners. We noticed a large crowd in the center listening to a man speaking in English who was accompanied by a translator. I decided to walk over to investigate what was going on when I realized that the man speaking was a preacher from the US. As soon as I realized this, I turned around and rejoined my friends shaking my head in disgust.
When the crowd finally dispersed, I noticed that the street preacher was headed in our direction. Right away he began to speak to us in English and inquired about our being in El Salvador. We told him we were tourists because one never knows when there are people listening in (orejas) on your conversations. Before we could say any more, this guy began asking us if we had “come to know the Lord.” We all said “no,” much to his disappointment, but we were curious enough to ask him what he was doing in El Salvador. He said, “To spread the Gospel and to win souls for Christ.” We asked him if he was doing anything for these people in the way of food, housing, jobs, or opposing US military aid. He told us “no” and that those things were not relevant as long as people saved their souls. At that point, I remember telling him that he was no different than the long line of Christians who had come here to impose their will on these people. I told him that if he wanted to preach religion, maybe he might want to follow the model of the late Archbishop Oscar Romero.(1) Looking at me with a confused expression, our missionary friend simply said, “Who was he?”
This encounter reflects for me a fundamental tenet of the relationship that Euro- Americans have had and continue to have with people throughout Latin America. Over the past 500 years, Mayans and many other people have had various forms of intervention in their communities by people claiming to know what is best for them. Whether they have been missionaries, statesmen, Peace Corp workers, anthropologists, relief agencies, or even solidarity organizations – all of them, in some form or another, have gone to these countries with the position that they were going to “help these people,” “show them how it is done,” make their lives better or simply to “save” them from themselves.
The corporate-owned media in this country has contributed to this view since it rarely puts into context why there are rampant societal problems such as poverty, street children sniffing glue, political violence, government corruption, and ecological devastation. The cumulative effect of watching news stories about Latin America that are mostly disaster related is that viewers are left with the sense that “these people” cannot take care of themselves. Whether it is on the nightly news or a CARE ad showing malnourished children, the North American public is fed images of dependency and backwardness. From my studies of the local TV news coverage of Latin America, it is rare that we are given the opinions and perspectives of Latin Americans on what is happening there and a virtually nonexistent view from Latin Americans who hold no positions of power.
More and more people are beginning to question this notion of superiority and imperial mentality that permeates all social institutions in this country. Beginning with the observations that took place surrounding the 500 years of resistance by Indigenous peoples throughout the Western hemisphere, some people in the US are confronting their own relationships with the First Nations of North, Central and South America. This is due in part to an increase in solidarity groups sending people to various countries by way of invitation to stand with people in their struggles for justice.
Attitudes are also changing because people are becoming more familiar with the rich literary and cultural traditions that give a radically different view of the past 500 years. This transition has not been without resistance, some of it which wants to aggressively cling to the history of the victors, while others are scrambling to find “examples” of well intentioned people that they can hold up so as to not feel completely guilty about being in positions of privilege.
What I want to do in this book is to reflect on the fact that it has been I who have been “saved,” because of the people I have worked with in Guatemala, El Salvador and Chiapas, along with those in Grand Rapids who are from Mexico and Central America. In many ways it is I who have been transformed by these people and the experiences I had with them. I do not want to give the impression that I have some romanticized notion of who the people I met, rather I am saying that it is I who really gained from these encounters. It is sort of a reversal of the missionary position, where instead of going to change others I became changed. Who I am today, and what I do, is in large part because of my encounters with the people of Mexico and Central America.
What I hope to communicate in these pages is that solidarity was not just something I participated in on my journeys to Guatemala, El Salvador and Chiapas, it was something I learned and continue to learn from because of the struggles they have allowed me to participate in. They have taught me profound lessons on community, organizing, and the importance of having a vision. I learned that for them to obtain real freedom I had to learn to listen to what it was that they wanted. I was taught solidarity by not wanting to impose my will, my desires on them. In religious terms, it is as if I was being proselytize by them and sent back to the US to make converts here. I could not simply come back from my trips and claim that I had done “my time.” No, this is not solidarity. Solidarity requires an ongoing relationship and doing whatever it takes to improve, to build upon that relationship.
The kind of solidarity that the Guatemalans/Salvadorans and Mexicans have taught me is learned solidarity. This type of solidarity requires that after standing with those communities, I have to also work here in the US to change the policies that make it nearly impossible to achieve lasting change in their country’s of origin. The main difference between dogmatic religion or political ideologies and learned solidarity for me is that learned solidarity is based on real principles of democracy, equality and mutual respect, not just paying lip service to it. Learned solidarity is the desire and the experience of standing with people, of having a presence with them, regardless of differences or world-views.
Learned solidarity is not following an ideological blueprint or something you read in a book. Learned solidarity is a process and a commitment to practicing what I learned from the Zapatistas and the values they embrace. One Zapatista value comes from the phrase, “we build the road by walking together.”
One experience I had of learned solidarity came during my first stint in Guatemala while working with Peace Brigades International. I was working with a newly formed group of Guatemalan widows called CONAVIGUA. They were meeting in a church courtyard in Chichicastenango one afternoon when a group of soldiers entered and made threats. The women definitely stood their ground and the soldiers left. That night one of the women said to me that they were grateful for our presence that day, but then she went on to tell me something that I can never forget nor ignore. She said, “It is important that you are here, but more important that you return to your country to tell the people what is going on here. The way you live determines how we live.”
This book is the product of learned solidarity. It is divided into three sections, each reflecting on the various ways that this learned solidarity has impacted me. Part I of the book is entitled Q’anjobal Mayans Invade Amway Territory. I share thoughts on being bit by the Central America bug, part of the Sanctuary movement in the 80’s and how I negotiated cultural solidarity in an area permeated with Christian conservatism.
Part II is called Sembramos, Comemos, Sembramos – We Plant, in order to Eat, in order to Plant. This is a saying I learned from a Mayan farmer that reflects the simplicity and consistency in the lives of the Mayans I met in Guatemala, El Salvador and Chiapas. Here I gleaned sections from my journal entries from various trips between 1988 to 2006, where I have had numerous opportunities to accompany and observe the relentless persistence of the Guatemalan and Salvadoran popular movements and the participatory democracy of the Zapatista communities.
Part III, The Way You Live, Determines How We Live, is a collection of articles that I have written over the years on various aspects of how US foreign policy impacts Central America and Mexico, and what we might do to change those policies. As Noam Chomsky has always pointed out, the responsibility of the citizens of countries that dictate global policies are key in determining the outcome of many liberation struggles around the world.
I am forever indebted to the people I have met and learned from in these pages. My encounters with them have transformed my life forever. It is because of them that I am the person I am today. It is for them that I dedicate this book.
Photos:
Top picture is from Guatemala, with the Mothers of the Disappeared group
2nd picture is from Chiapas, Mexico, where Zapatistas converge on a Mexican military base to shut it down.
3rd picture is from Guatemala, during International Women’s Day.
In Part I, I revealed the statements that came from police unions, police apologist organizations and Grand Rapids City officials. Today, I want to look at some of the response to the mistrial of Schurr from those who are supportive of/sympathetic to the Lyoya family.
There was an outpouring of support and solidarity on May 8th, from a number of organizations offering sympathy to the Lyoya family. The Grand Rapids Pride Center wrote in part, “We mourn, we stand, we fight. The Grand Rapids Pride Center joins the collective grief and outrage surrounding the injustice faced by Patrick Lyoya and his family. We send our deepest love, strength, and solidarity to the Lyoya family during this painful time.”
The Latino Community Coalition said, “We recognize how significant this moment is in the history of Grand Rapids and in the life of our community. As Latine people, we know we have a responsibility to stand with our Black community. Our lives are deeply connected. We are grieving alongside our neighbors, and we call on all of us to use our voices, leverage our collective power, and continue building community. We must keep showing up and demanding justice; not just today, but always.”
The YWCA posted on their social media, this brief statement: “The news of a mistrial in the case of Patrick Lyoya’s murder is deeply painful for many in our community, especially for those who have long borne the weight of injustice. While the courtroom process has reached a standstill, the pursuit of justice must continue. As an organization committed to eliminating racism, we stand with those calling for accountability, transparency, and transformation—not only in our justice system but across all systems that affect safety, opportunity, and equity for all.”
The ACLU of Michigan responded with the following comments: “Despite devoting considerable time and energy to the effort to reach a verdict in the killing of Patrick Lyoya by former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr, the jury was unable to do so. The mistrial leaves continued pain and uncertainty in our community. But what the mistrial does not change is the fact that the death of Mr. Lyoya, a beloved son, brother and father of two, who came to this country in search of a better life, was both preventable and predictable. True accountability means a commitment by the City of Grand Rapids and its police department to real and lasting policing reform – a commitment evidenced by no more lives lost.”
The Grand Rapid Urban League also weighed in and wrote in part: “This is a grave injustice the Lyoya family must now bear—not only today, but for the rest of their lives. It is a wound that also marks the conscience of every Grand Rapidian who believes in the promise of justice. Until every system—education, health, housing, economic, and criminal justice—works for all, our community cannot and will not thrive. The Urban League of West Michigan calls on the Kent County Prosecutor to swiftly retry the murder case against former officer Christopher Schurr without delay. Additionally, we invite the City of Grand Rapids Office of Oversight and Public Accountability (OPA) to an immediate and transparent dialogue with us and the broader community. This conversation should focus on a thorough examination of the training, policies, practices, and procedures currently in place within the Grand Rapids Police Department – particularly in instances were these actions result in a loss of life. Our city’s future depends on the courage to confront hard truths and the will to make meaningful changes. Justice delayed is justice denied—not just for one family, but for all of us.”
Finally, here is an excerpt from a statement from the Concerned Clergy of Grand Rapids : “As clergy representing diverse faith communities in Grand Rapids, we stand united in our commitment to truth, justice, and human dignity. The killing of Patrick Lyoya placed our city at a painful crossroads – a moment that demands moral clarity, communal resolve and transformative action. Patrick Lyoya was a son, a brother, a neighbor—and a child of God. His life was taken by an act of violence at the hands of law enforcement, and the pain of his death reverberates still, especially among our Black and immigrant communities. We acknowledge that the deeper crisis is not solely about one case—but about a system that continues to fail the very people it claims to protect.”
All of these responses center the Lyoya family and the collective grief that many are feeling since the mistrial of the ex-cop who killed Patrick Lyoya. These statements are important, not only because they are embracing the Lyoya family, but because they honor the need for collective grief, loss and mourning.
Several of these groups also included some comments about the need for change, specifically the ACLU of Michigan and the Grand Rapids Urban League. However, the Concerned Clergy of Grand Rapids was the only statement I have seen which communicates a list of demands. They write:
- “We are not only calling for justice in this case—we are demanding structural transformation. This includes:
- Immediate and transparent review of police training and testing practices, especially those related to de-escalation, racial bias, and use of force
- Changes in recruitment and hiring that reflect the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our community
- Thoughtful and community-informed officer placement to foster trust rather than fear
- Greater investment in non-policing solutions to public safety, including mental health responders and violence interrupters
- The establishment of ongoing, accountable partnerships between police leadership and trusted community representatives
- As faith leaders, we want to collaborate with the Office of Oversight and Public Accountability to establish a plan of shared action that addresses these systemic issues, supports community healing, and ensures ongoing institutional accountability—regardless of the outcome of this trial.”
The calls for accountability and reform, while understandable, are unlikely to achieve what is necessary to actually prevent the systemic harm and function of policing. Alex Vitale, in his groundbreaking book, The End of Policing, provides an important critique of police reforms, stating:
“For liberals, police reform is always a question of taking steps to restore the legitimacy of policing…………They want the police to be better trained, more accountable, and less brutal and racist – laudable goals, but they leave intact the basic institutional functions of the police, which have never really been about public safety and crime control………..The reality is that police exist primarily as a system for managing and even producing inequality by suppressing social movements and highly managing the behaviors of poor and nonwhite people; those on the losing end of economic and political arrangements.”
In Part III, I want to explore what an abolitionist response to the GRPD would be and how it might be achieved.
“This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.” Frederick Douglass
If you are concerned about issues like Climate Change, the ridiculous cost of housing, reproductive justice, gentrification, the non-profit industrial complex, public education or the recent mistrial for the ex-cop that shot Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head, then you might consider why a Grand Rapids Power Analysis is important.
If you are involved in social movement work, you will be familiar with the fact that politicians, organizations and institutions will object to what you are doing, push back or put roadblocks in front of any efforts to address injustices, especially systemic injustices.
A local power analysis can help us understand the economic, political and social power that institutions, organizations and members of the capitalist class play in opposing, infiltrating or undermining specific campaigns or the long haul work that social justice movements engage in. What follows is a recent example where social movement work, campaigns and collaborative efforts to demand structural change was defeated by those in the Grand Rapids Power Structure.
Campaign to defeat Grand Rapids ordinances that criminalized the unhoused
The Grand Rapids Power Structure has spent several decades to transform downtown Grand Rapids into a hub for expanding the wealth of the capitalist class and prioritizing the city as a tourist destination rather than meeting the needs of the most vulnerable in the community.
In July of 2022, the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce first submitting a letter to the Grand Rapids City Commission, which stated in part: “The Grand Rapids Chamber shares many of the values and priorities set by the City’s Strategic Plan, including goals for economic prosperity and a safe community. Unfortunately, as many of you are hearing, the high rate of shootings, violent crimes, trespassing, harassment and many other unacceptable actions continue to harm businesses and their employees in downtown, neighborhood business districts and other critical commercial corridors.”
In December of 2022, the GR Chamber of Commerce not only submitted an ordinance proposal to criminalize the unhoused, they got over 100 of their business friends to support said ordinance.
In response to the GR Chamber’s effort to push the city to criminalize the unhoused, the Grand Rapids Area Tenant Union (GRATU) began an information campaign to expose what the local Chamber of Commerce was doing and to initiate a boycott of businesses in downtown Grand Rapids.This campaign began in late December of 2022.
Then, in June of 2023, the City of Grand Rapids put forth two ordinance proposals that adopted some of the same language as GR Chamber ordinance proposal.
The Grand Rapids Area Tenant Union then organized a campaign to oppose these ordinances, which led to a Housing Not Jail campaign to pressure Grand Rapids City officials to not adopt ordinances that would criminalize the unhoused. This campaign by GRATU generated several thousand letters to the Gand Rapids City Commission. In contrast, the GR Chamber of Commerce got a handful of letters submitted by downtown business owners.
During the July 12th hearing on the proposed ordinances to criminalize the unhoused, the majority of people who spoke during public comment were against it, but the GR Chamber of Commerce made sure that their campaign contributions to members of the City Commission were in place, as you can see from this image here.
In the July, the Grand Rapids City Commission voted to adopt the ordinances that now criminalize the unhoused. This was a clear example of how organized money from members of the GR Power Structure were able to defeat the grassroots organized effort from the community.
It is also important to note that the local news media provided more time to the GR Chamber perspective than they did to those who would be most impacted by these ordinances. In addition, the local non-profit industrial complex, particularly those involved in housing were either silent on this matter or endorsed the ordinance campaign. One such group was Mel Trotter Ministries, which was one of the groups that supported the original GR Chamber ordinance proposal, was then rewarded with $200,000 in public money from the City for a personal storage program. One of the City’s ordinances would fine the unhoused for carrying their belongings with them in sacks, trash bags or shopping carts.
Lastly, the GRPD was then given license to detain and arrest unhoused people who violated either of the two ordinances adopted in July of 2023.
This example demonstrates that members of the capitalist class in Grand Rapids wanted to protect their investments, the GR Chamber of Commerce wanted to influence local policy, the news media normalized the criminalization of the unhoused and the City of Grand Rapids adopted policies to make GR a more appealing tourist destination, and using the GRPD to enforce the ordinances. This is why a local power analysis is so important for movement work.
This Thursday, May 15, beginning 7pm at Fountain Street Church, I will be doing a Grand Rapids Power Analysis.
It has been an intense few weeks in Grand Rapids, especially since the trial for former GRPD cop Chris Schurr began, after Schurr shot and killed Patrick Lyoya during a traffic stop.
To put into proper context, on May 5th I wrote an article with the headline, As the jury prepares to render their decision in the Schurr trial, why is there so little attention around police killing civilians and cop convictions? In that post, I referred to the site mappingpoliceviolence.org and noted on May 5th that police in the US have killed 387 people in 2025. I checked the mappingpoliceviolence.org site again today and the number of people killed by police in the US has risen to 403, which means 16 people have been killed by police in the US in just one week.
Today’s post is the first installment in a 3 Part series. I want to provide responses to the mistrial of Schurr from those who are supportive of/sympathetic to the Lyoya family (Part II), and I want to talk about an abolitionist response (Part III). Today, in Part I, I want to look at pro-police and pro-policing responses in the mistrial of former cop Chris Schurr.
Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge of Michigan released a statement on May 8th, which said:
Today’s outcome in the trial of Grand Rapids Police Officer Christopher Schurr—a hung jury—highlights the deep complexities surrounding this case and the difficult position law enforcement officers face when forced to make split-second decisions in high-stress situations.
This result reflects the reality that reasonable people can and do disagree when evaluating an officer’s actions under extreme pressure. Officer Schurr responded according to his training during a rapidly escalating encounter. The inability of the jury to reach a unanimous decision underscores the uncertainty and controversy surrounding the charges brought against him.
We continue to believe the prosecution of Officer Schurr, initiated by Prosecutor Becker, was unjust and driven more by public pressure than a fair assessment of law and evidence. These types of politically charged prosecutions risk discouraging proactive policing and jeopardize public and officer safety alike.
We stand with Officer Schurr and all law enforcement professionals who serve with integrity under incredibly difficult circumstances. As the case moves forward, we urge the public and judicial system to remain committed to fairness, due process, and an understanding of the realities of police work.
This statement is exactly what you would expect from the Fraternal Order of Police, siding with one of their own, never mentioning Patrick Lyoya and babbling on about how stressful it is to be a cop.
- The Grand Rapids Police Department has been silent on the matter and haven’t even made a post on social media since April 19.
- The Grand Rapids Police Officer’s Association did not make their own statement, they just reposted the FOP statement.
- The local police apologist groups, Voice for the Badge and iCI Nation, were also silent on the matter.
However, maybe the most insulting message that was released in recent days, came from the City of Grand Rapids on May 8th. I will put the City’s statement in italics and provide some of my own responses on bold.
Today, the trial of former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr concluded without the jury reaching a unanimous verdict regarding the death of Patrick Lyoya. Consequently, the court has declared a mistrial in this case.
We acknowledge the considerable time and effort the jurors dedicated to carefully consider the evidence and testimony presented during this complex and difficult trial. We thank them for their civic service.
We understand that the inability to reach a verdict brings continued uncertainty and pain, most significantly for the Lyoya family, who have already endured so much. We also recognize this lack of resolution is difficult for our entire community and extends the period of uncertainty for Mr. Schurr as well. If the city wants to talk about the pain for the Lyoya family, then why have they fought the family’s civil lawsuit for the killing of their son.
The next steps in this legal matter will be determined by the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office, which has the authority to decide whether to retry the case.
The City of Grand Rapids remains focused on its commitment to public safety, internal accountability based on our established policies, and the continuation of our ongoing efforts aimed at strengthening community trust and ensuring accountable constitutional policing. We also recognize the challenging and often dangerous nature of police work, and we appreciate the dedication of the many GRPD officers who serve our city with professionalism and integrity every day. Professionalism my ass. Since the Schurr trial began on April 28th, the GRPD arrested an local BIPOC activist that has been speaking out against Patrick Lyoya’s death at the hands of the GRPD, threats, intimidation and civil infractions against Movimiento Cosecha and GR Rapid Response to ICE, the arrest of another Black activist while the jury deliberated and another arrest and police violence directed at someone in a wheelchair during the May 8th rally.march demanding a retrial in the murder of Patrick Lyoya.
City services are operating normally, and maintaining peace and safety throughout Grand Rapids is paramount. We urge the community to remain patient while the legal process unfolds and to express any reactions peacefully and respectfully. To help community members process this court decision, we invite them to connect with The Wisdom Center. It will provide mental health support today and tomorrow. The Wisdom Center, 1333 Alger St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507, will have licensed therapists available from 3 to 8 p.m. to offer free mental health support for those in the community. When the City of Grand Rapids tells the community to be peaceful and respectful, they really mean that the public should be compliant and obedient. Also, The Wisdom Center that the City of Grand Rapids is plugging here at the end provides “Biblically-based principles” in their counseling….because of course they do.
Lastly, the Office of Oversight and Public Accountability has said nothing, which is par for the course for their role in holding the GRPD accountable.
In Part II, I will look at responses to the mistrial of Schurr from those who are supportive of/sympathetic to the Lyoya family.
Palestine Solidarity Information, Analysis, Local Actions and Events for the week of May 11th
It has been 19 months since the Israeli government began their most recent assault on Gaza and the West Bank. The retaliation for the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack in Israel, has escalated to what the international community has called genocide, therefore, GRIID will be providing weekly links to information and analysis that we think can better inform us of what is happening, along with the role that the US government is playing. We will also provide information on local events and actions that people can get involved in. All of this information is to provide people with the capacity of what Noam Chomsky refers to as, intellectual self-defense.
Information
Palestine Has Exposed Every Lie the West Tells the World
UCLA GAZA PROTESTERS SUE COPS FOR SHOOTING THEM IN THE HEAD WITH RUBBER BULLETS
Gaza and the end of humanitarian law
Israeli Airstrikes Decimate the Last Restaurant in Gaza City in Nightmarish Bloodbath
Famine in Gaza: Will We Continue to Watch as Gaza Starves to Death?
The Obscenity of Collective Punishment in Gaza
Warnings Grow Over US and Israel-Backed Plan for Gaza Aid
Analysis & History
How Hamas Sees the Current Moment: An Exclusive Interview With Osama Hamdan
‘Our Position on Palestine Is Not Fringe’
Image used in this post is from https://visualizingpalestine.org/visual/stolen-steps/
Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy 