GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A judge declared a mistrial in the trial of ex-Grand Rapids officer Christopher Schurr on Thursday morning.
Watch Simon Shaykhet's video report:
Schurr was charged with second-degree murder in the 2022 killing of Patrick Lyoya.
Judge Christina Mims said the jury was unable to reach a verdict in the case.
Watch: Judge declares a mistrial in Christopher Schurr trial
The jury was in their fourth day of deliberations after saying they were deadlocked earlier in the week.
Following the mistrial announcement, the family of Patrick Lyoya, along with their attorney, held a news conference.
“I want to say that it hurt my family, my wife. We are bleeding, we are in pain, but I would like to thank the legal team that stood by me and my family,” Peter Lyoya, Patrick’s father, said.
Watch: Family of Patrick Lyoya holds press conference following mistrial
Attorney Ven Johnson said, "We encourage Prosecutor Becker to remain alongside this family and move forward with a retrial because we believe this officer should be brought to justice."
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Schurr's attorney, Matthew Borgula, also shared his client's reaction following the mistrial.
“He obviously wanted a resolution," Borgula said. "Felt the jury took time to deliberate and appreciates that. They did their job. I don’t think the case should be retried or charged in the first place.”
Previous report: Jury deadlocked in Schurr trial
On Tuesday, the jury returned to the courtroom and told the judge it couldn't reach a verdict. However, the judge encouraged them to keep deliberating.
"I'm going to ask you to return to the jury room and resume deliberations in the hope that after further discussion, you will be able to reach a verdict," Judge Christina Mims said.
Watch our report in the video player below after deliberations had begun:
On April 4, 2022, Schurr shot Lyoya, a 26-year-old Congolese refugee, in the back of the head during a traffic stop. As seen through body camera and dash camera videos from the incident — as well as a cell phone video recorded by a bystander — the two had been struggling over Schurr's taser in the front yard of a residence in a southeast Grand Rapids neighborhood.
While the former officer's lawyers claim he acted self-defense, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker says Schurr's actions were not justified.
Less than a week after Lyoya's death, protesters called for racial justice in a series of large demonstrations throughout Grand Rapids. A number of reforms were later implemented within the Grand Rapids Police Department.
