Community Updates: Friday, April 29

Michigan State Police passes its investigation into the death of Patrick Lyoya to Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker

In a press release published on April 28, the Michigan State Police announced that they had submitted their investigation into the April 4 officer involved shooting that killed Patrick Lyoya to Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker. However, they have acknowledged that their report is incomplete and that they are still waiting on additional information. "The investigation remains in ongoing status as detectives await the return of forensic reports from the manufacturer of the body camera and Taser," the MSP release states. "Those reports will be forwarded to the Prosecutor once recieved." In response, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker released his own statement in which he outlined the next steps he will be taking in this case. "I will begin to review the materials they have gathered at this time," he explains. "But I cannot, and will not, make a final decision until they submit all the necessary information."

This comes just a few days after the Greater Grand Rapids Branch of the NAACP, local activists, and members of the Grand Rapids community demanded that Becker recuse himself and allow Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to take the case. "We believe and agree that based on the historical relationship between the Kent County Prosecutor's Office and the Grand Rapids Police Department, that a fair and unbiased investigation cannot occur," said Cle Jackson, President of the Greater Grand Rapids Branch of the NAACP. "Fundamentally, there are too many conflicts of interest." As of Tuesday, April 26, Prosecutor Becker has made it clear that he has no intention of stepping away from the Lyoya case at this time.

The return of the Grand Rapids Sister Cities International annual gala

On June 8, Grand Rapids Sister Cities International will be holding its annual gala -- the first in two years. The event will celebrate Grand Rapids' sixth sister city, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Drinks, appetizers, and live Korean entertainment will be available, as well as an update from GRSCI and the Grand Rapids Sister Cities themselves. "This event really showcases our welcoming city as demonstrated by the inclusive message of the Sister Cities mission," stated GRSCI President Leonardo Tombelli. "We invite all Grand Rapidians to join us for this night of international fellowship as we celebrate our sixth Sister City partnership."

Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea became the sixth of Grand Rapids' Sister Cities in September of 2021. The other Grand Rapids Sister Cities are:

• Omihachiman, Japan (1986)
• Bielsko-Biała, Poland (1991)
• Perugia, Italy (1993)
• Ga District, Ghana (1994)
• Zapopan, Mexico (2008)

The event will be held at the J.W. Marriott hotel in downtown Grand Rapids. Tickets are available here.

Also in the News:

• Volunteers from the community, members of the Junior League, and Grand Rapids parks & recreation staff will be joining forces on Saturday, April 30 to build a new playground at Mulick Park. They aim to finish the construction in one day.

• May 31 is the cutoff date for Grand Rapidians to submit their community improvement ideas to the Participatory Budgeting Grand Rapids Steering Committee. More information can be found here.