POLICE SHOOTING-MICHIGAN

NAACP: Michigan attorney general must investigate Lyoya case

A civil rights group is demanding that the Michigan attorney general investigate the police shooting of Patrick Lyoya, warning the longstanding relationship between the county prosecutor's office and Grand Rapids police could lead to bias. The president of the Greater Grand Rapids NAACP says he personally asked Chris Becker to recuse himself but the Kent County prosecutor declined. Cle Jackson says there are too many conflicts of interest. But Becker says he won't give up the case. Lyoya, a 26-year-old Black man, was shot in the back of the head by a white Grand Rapids officer after an April 4 traffic stop. State police are investigating the shooting.

ELECTION 2022-MICHIGAN GOVERNOR

Challenge filed against James Craig's petition signatures

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A group tied to Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon is challenging nominating petitions submitted by rival candidate James Craig, saying he likely did not turn in enough valid signatures to qualify for the GOP primary. Dixon, the former host of a conservative news show, and Craig, the former Detroit police chief, are among 10 Republicans who filed petitions by April 19. The deadline to contest signatures is Tuesday. Michigan Strong, the super PAC supporting Dixon, says Craig submitted too many invalid petitions, in part due to “apparent fraud.” A message seeking comment was left with Craig’s campaign.

AP-US-POLICE-SHOOTING-MICHIGAN

Michigan chief IDs officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Grand Rapids, Michigan, police have identified Christopher Schurr as the officer who killed Patrick Lyoya three weeks ago. Lyoya was a Black man and native of Congo who was fatally shot in the back of the head after a struggle with the officer. Grand Rapids Chief Eric Winstrom had declined to name the officer but changed course Monday. Schurr has been a Grand Rapids officer since 2015. He grew up in the area and was a star pole vaulter at Siena Heights, a small Michigan college. In 2014, Schurr told Vaulter Magazine that he was getting married in Kenya because he couldn't afford a wedding celebration and take a separate trip to Africa to build homes. So he was going to do both at the same time.

GENERAL MOTORS-RESULTS

GM's $2.94B 1Q profit tops Street views, but revenue misses

LOS ANGELES (AP) — General Motors’ net income declined in the first quarter, as the automaker sold fewer cars and trucks worldwide, though higher prices helped boost revenue, especially in North America. The Detroit company's adjusted earnings topped Wall Street estimates, though its revenue fell short of analysts’ forecasts. GM reported net income of $2.94 billion, or $1.35 per share, versus a profit of $3.02 billion, or $2.03 per share, in the same quarter last year. Revenue jumped nearly 11% to $35.98 billion, below the $36.89 billion analysts projected.

FATAL FIRE

2 kids die in house fire in rural area in SW Michigan

CONSTANTINE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Police say two children have died in a house fire in southwestern Michigan. The fire occurred Monday in a rural area in Constantine Township in St. Joseph County, just north of the Indiana border. The children who died were ages 3 and 4. Their mother was injured but survived. Pictures posted online by WWMT-TV show the structure was destroyed. St. Joseph County United Way is taking donations to help the family.

POLICE TRAINING SHOOTING

Person wounded during Michigan police training exercise

TAYLOR, Mich. (AP) — Police say a person taking part in a suburban Detroit police training program suffered a gunshot wound and was hospitalized. Michigan State Police say the shooting happened Sunday afternoon during the training at a Taylor city park for the city’s volunteer auxiliary police program. The civilian was a “role player” in a training scenario when an auxiliary officer in the training fired a shot from his service revolver, hitting the person in the abdomen. The person was taken to a hospital in stable condition. State police investigators were reviewing the shooting at the request of Taylor police.

TWO DEAD-ALPENA

Alpena-area men go to prison while 2 deaths are investigated

ALPENA, Mich. (AP) — A man has been sentenced to two years in prison while authorities continue to investigate the deaths of two women. Joshua Wirgau was sentenced last week in a separate case involving a gun crime. Another man, Brad Srebnik, received the same term. Both will get credit for more than six months in jail. Brynn Bills disappeared last August shortly before she would have turned 18. Her body was found in September in Wirgau’s yard in Alpena Township. The body of Abby Hill was found in October in a wooded area in the township. She and Bills were friends on Facebook. The prosecutor says the investigation is ongoing.

MICHIGAN REPUBLICANS-CONVENTION

Michigan GOP picks candidates with Trump clout on the line

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Two candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump have won Michigan Republicans’ backing for attorney general and secretary of state at a convention, clearing their path to face Democratic incumbents in the fall. Saturday’s meeting of thousands of party delegates was a test of Trump’s clout in the party. His allies — attorney general candidate Matthew DePerno, a lawyer, and secretary of state candidate Kristina Karamo, a community college instructor — emerged victorious from three-person fields at the “endorsement” event in downtown Grand Rapids. The political newcomers support Trump’s false claims about his 2020 loss in the swing state.

WRONGFUL CONVICTION

Judge delays long-imprisoned Detroit man's exoneration

DETROIT (AP) — A judge has put on hold the exoneration of a Detroit man who has been in prison for 15 years for kidnapping and sexual assault crimes that prosecutors now say he didn’t commit. A Wayne County judge told prosecutors and defense lawyers for Terance Calhoun on Friday that a Detroit police officer came to her office earlier in the day with material claiming Calhoun had confessed to attacking the two teen girls in 2006. Judge Kelly Ramsey said she did not look at the material but rescheduled Friday’s hearing until Wednesday. The Detroit Police Department said the officer didn’t follow proper procedures and that it was “working to rectify the situation.”

AP-US-GM-CORVETTE

GM to offer electrified Corvette as early as next year

General Motors says it will offer an electrified Chevrolet Corvette as early as next year. President Mark Reuss says in a statement on LinkedIn on Monday that the automaker will also offer a fully electric Corvette sometime in the future. An electrified vehicle generally means a gas-electric hybrid or a plug-in rechargeable hybrid. More details on the vehicles are expected to be provided at a later date. Interest in electric vehicles is increasing among consumers as demand for an electric Corvette has been building among the sports car’s fan base.

News from © The Associated Press, 2022