Independent autopsy confirms Patrick Lyoya was shot in the back of the head

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An independent autopsy confirms that Patrick Lyoya was shot in the back of the head by a Grand Rapids, Michigan police officer while facedown on the ground, lawyers for Lyoya’s family said Tuesday.

Patric Lyoya Independent autopsy

The finding by a former Detroit-area medical examiner matches what was seen last week on video released by the Grand Rapids police chief.

“There’s no question what killed this young man. … It was a powerful bullet,” said Dr. Werner Spitz, holding a skull at a news conference to show where the bullet entered the head.

Spitz said he believes the gun was pressed against Lyoya’s head when the officer fired.

The report said Lyoya “was conscious and aware of the fact that a gun was being held to the back of his head. Death was instantaneous when the gun fired.”

The official autopsy and toxicology report hasn’t been released to the public.

Deadly traffic stop

Lyoya was killed after a minor traffic stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan on April 4. Four videos released to the public showed Lyoya and the officer physically struggled on the ground before Lyoya was fatally shot.

Lyoya was unarmed. The officer was on top of him and can be heard on video demanding that he take his hand off a police Taser. Lyoya was stopped for an invalid license plate.

The officer’s name has not been released and is on paid leave.

The family has called the killing an “execution” and has demanded the officer’s identity be released along with a federal investigation.

“We can confirm that Patrick Lyoya was shot in the back of his head,” attorney Ben Crump said. “That is now scientific evidence of this tragic killing and what his family believes was an execution.”

Funeral arrangements for Patrick Lyoya

The 26-year-old was a refugee from Congo who came to America in 2014 with family for a better life. He lived in Grand Rapids. His family lives in Lansing.

According to reports, Lyoya’s funeral is planned for Friday at the Renaissance Church of God in Christ in Grand Rapids. Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network said it will help cover the cost. He will deliver a eulogy.