LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's office announced Friday afternoon it would no longer release to media the driving records of "victims of violence," including Patrick Lyoya, a 26-year-old Black man shot by a Grand Rapids police officer during a traffic stop April 4.
But within seven hours, Benson walked back the statement, saying in a series of tweets that there was no policy switch and there were no changes "to media or public access to such data."
The announcement earlier Friday broke with the office's past practice and prompted concerns about whether public access to government information was being restricted. The Michigan Press Association had "grave concerns about the way this is worded," said Lisa McGraw, the group's public affairs manager.
