US police release name of officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya

Demonstrations have been held in support of Patrick Lyoya, an unarmed Black man who was shot and killed by a Grand Rapids police officer during a traffic stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on April 4 [File: Michael A McCoy/Reuters]

Police in the US state of Michigan have released the name of the officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya, a 26-year-old man originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the back of the head this month.

Lyoya’s death on April 4 has spurred protests in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the city where it took place, as well as renewed calls for an end to police violence against Black people across the United States.