Patrick Lyoya Shooting Video 'Looks Like an Execution'—Legal Analyst

Newly released video footage of the moment a white police officer shot an unarmed Black man dead during a routine traffic stop has sparked widespread condemnation.

The clip, released Wednesday, showed 26-year-old Patrick Lyoya being shot in the back of his head as he lay face down on the street, with an officer astride him. He had been pulled over in Grand Rapids, Michigan, shortly after 8:10 a.m. on April 4, when the unnamed officer wanted to query the car's license plate registration.

Many condemned the clip online, with former federal prosecutor and legal analyst Shanlon Wu branding the scene "horrifying." He added: "This looks like an execution."

Four separate cameras captured the moments leading up to Lyoya's death: the police officer's body camera, deactivated shortly before the shooting; the police car's camera system; a security camera on a nearby home; and a camera phone belonging to Lyoya's passenger, who recorded the incident as it unfolded.

The footage was released during a press briefing, which is available to watch in full on YouTube. Lyoya had pulled over after he was signaled to do so, and got out of his vehicle. The officer approached him shouting: "Stay in the car!" It was unclear if Lyoya, who was Congolese and had been in the U.S. for five years, fully understood English, although he said he did when replying in accented English.

Shortly after, a scuffle broke out; Lyoya ran away but was tackled to the ground by the officer. As they continued to struggle, the officer tried to deploy his Taser, but Lyoya managed to grab the weapon and angled it away from him. The officer repeatedly shouted: "Let go of the Taser!"

Lyoya's passenger filmed the moment the officer—now on Lyoya's back as he lay face down—reached for his gun and appeared to fire it at the back of Lyoya's head.

For some, the shooting has brought back memories of the 2020 murder of unarmed Black man George Floyd by a policeman in Minneapolis. Officer Derek Chauvin was later sentenced to 22 years in jail.

When Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom was asked by reporters whether this was "Michigan's version of George Floyd," he replied: "You're asking me to draw a conclusion on the incident. That would be a legal conclusion I'm not prepared to do today."

When asked how he viewed the incident, he replied: "I view it as a tragedy." He confirmed the officer and the incident are now under investigation.

But social media reacted with fury after the footage was shared. Shanlon Wu described the incident as an "execution" and added in a series of follow-up tweets: "No reason why police in Grand Rapids should not be treated like any other citizen who kills someone with a gun who would be arrested until bail/conditions of release determined while the killing investigated."

A rolling stream of replies on the YouTube footage of the briefing, during which video of the incident was shown, revealed numerous outraged comments, with many calling for "Justice for Patrick!" Many claimed he hadn't understood the officer's instructions, while others pointed out he had not been given any warning before the officer drew his gun. However, others argued that by struggling and grabbing the Taser, he had given the officer cause to reach for his sidearm.

Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss looked close to tears as the video played at the briefing. She released a statement, saying: "I know that we will continue to experience a range of strong emotions as we navigate these challenging times and I recognize that we have difficult days, weeks and months ahead—both for Patrick's family and our community."

Mark Washington, Grand Rapids city manager, said the footage was "painful to watch."

The case has highlighted long-running tensions between police and the city's Black population. Activists aired their grievances on Tuesday night during a city commission meeting, according to the New York Times, and then led a protest on Wednesday evening after the footage was released.

It comes in the wake of widespread protests and the Black Lives Matter movement, sparked by the murder of Floyd in Minneapolis. Grand Rapids was among the U.S. cities to see protests about that case.

Newsweek contacted the Grand Rapids Police Department for further comment.