BREAKING NEWS ALERT. GRAND RAPIDS POLICE OFFICER CHRISTOPHER SURE CHARGED TONIGHT
WITH SECOND DEGREE MURDER FOR
SHOOTING PATRICK LATOYA IN THE
BACK OF THE HEAD WHILE THE GOYA
WAS ON THE GROUND. THIS
AFTERNOON’S ANNOUNCEMENT, COMING
AFTER MONTHS OF INVESTIGATION BY
STATE POLICE, IN CASE YOU’RE
JUST JOINING US HERE IS THE VERY
LATEST ON THIS, INCLUDING THE
BOOKING PHOTO THAT WAS JUST
RELEASED. KENT COUNTY PROSECUTOR
CHRIS BECKER SAYS THE CHARGE OF
SECOND DEGREE MURDER WAS THE
HIGHEST POSSIBLE HERE BECAUSE
THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF
PREMEDITATION. SECOND DEGREE
MURDER IS A FELONY. IT’S
PUNISHABLE IN MICHIGAN BY THE
LIFE IN PRISON WITH THE
POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE OFFICER
SURE HAS TURNED HIMSELF IN AND
COULD BE ARRAIGNED ON THE CHARGE
AS SOON AS TOMORROW. VICTOR
WILLIAMS IS LIVE AT GRAND RAPIDS
POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH COMMUNITY
REACTION, VICTOR SOME PEOPLE ARE
PROTESTING THE WAY THAT THIS WAS
ALL HANDLED. KIMBERLY JASON,
THIS GROUP OF PROTESTERS BEHIND
ME. THEY ALL BELIEVE THAT THIS
SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED A LOT
SOONER. RIGHT NOW. THEY ARE, IN
A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR PATRICK
LATOYA. BUT AT THE SAME TIME,
MANY ARE SAYING THAT THIS IS AT
LEAST A STEP IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION. FOUR NOW, WITH THIS,
THERE IS A STEP FORWARD THE NEWS
OF SECOND DEGREE CHARGES BEING
FOUND AGAINST OFFICER
CHRISTOPHER SURE, FOR THE DEATH
OF PATRICK LATOYA WAS A BIG
RELIEF FOR THOSE IN GRAND RAPIDS
LIKE ALEX BRADLEY. AND DION
MORRIS. I’M HAPPY THAT THEY’RE
FINALLY DOING SOMETHING. I FEEL
LIKE THEY OVERLOOK CRIME ON
PEOPLE OF COLOR, EVEN THOUGH THE
CHARGES ARE IN A WAY HOLDING THE
GRAND RAPIDS POLICE OFFICER
ACCOUNTABLE THAT DIDN’T STOP
PROTESTERS FROM MAKING THEIR
PRESENCE KNOWN AT THE GRAND
RAPIDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
HOWEVER, BELIEVE THE TIME IT
TOOK TO GET HERE 66 DAYS. MAY
HAVE BEEN TOO LONG. THIS IS
HAPPENING NOW BETTER LATE THAN
NEVER AS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
AND OTHER BUSINESSES NEARBY
BOARD UP THEIR FRONTS. KENT
COUNTY PROSECUTOR CHRIS BECKER
BELIEVES THERE WILL BE ANOTHER
SIDE NOT TOO HAPPY WITH THE
CHARGES FILED SPLIT, TO BE
HONEST WITH YOU. I MEAN, I THINK
THERE’S BEEN THIS, YOU KNOW, I
THINK THE GENERAL CONSENSUS IS,
I THINK THERE’S A HUGE AMOUNT OF
COMMUNITY PRESSURE THAT THINKS I
SHOULD CHARGE AND IF I DON’T
CHARGE, SOMETHING’S GOING TO
HAPPEN. BUT I MEAN, LITERALLY
JUST BEFORE I CAME OVER HERE. I
GOT AN EMAIL FROM SOMEBODY
SAYING, I DON’T THINK YOU SHOULD
CHARGE. BUT DION BELIEVES EITHER
WAY THIS SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT
THE DIRECTION OF POLICING IN
AMERICA. IT GIVES ME HOPE. THAT
MOST OF MY KIDS IS GROWN IN
THERE OUT HERE IN THE COMMUNITY
OR WHATNOT. I COULD PUT SOME
TYPE OF TRUST INTO THE POLICE TO
DO THEIR JOBS WHEN CRIME IS
BEING COMMITTED AGAINST THEM
KIDS OF COLOR. AN ATTORNEY
GENERAL DANA NESSEL WAS ALSO
ABLE TO WEIGH IN SAYING SHE
COMMENCED THE PROSECUTOR AND
THAT NOW IT WILL BE UP TO THE
JUSTICE SYSTEM TO DECIDE IF THIS
OFFICER IS INDEED INNOCENT OR
GUILTY. FOR NOW WE ARE REPORTING
LIVE IN GRAND RAPIDS. VICTOR
WILLIAMS, LOOK FOR OKAY, VICTOR,
THANKS FOR THE GRAND RAPIDS
POLICE CHIEF JUST SPOKE IN THE
AFTERMATH OF TODAY’S CHARGING
DECISION, CHIEF, ERIC WINCED.
REM IS RECOMMENDING THE CITY
MANAGER. SUSPEND OFFICER
CHRISTOPHER SURE WITHOUT PAY
PENDING TERMINATION. I RECOGNIZE
THE IMPACT THIS WILL HAVE ON A
LONGTIME EMPLOYEE AND FRIEND OF
MANY AT THE GRAND RAPIDS POLICE
DEPARTMENT. BUT I THINK IT IS
THE RIGHT THING TO DO. OVER THE
PAST TWO MONTHS UNDER THE MOST
CHALLENGING CONDITIONS. THE MEN
AND WOMEN OF THE GRAND RAPIDS
POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN
GIVING 100% AND ARE DOING AN
INCREDIBLE JOB FOR THE CITY. I
AM UNAWARE OF ANOTHER AGENCY
INVOLVED IN SUCH A HOPE SUCH A
HIGH PROFILE INCIDENT. WHICH
DEMONSTRATED SUCH A LEVEL OF
PROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONALISM
DURING SUCH A DIFFICULT TIME.
AND PATRICK TOYA’S FATHER WAS IN
DOWNTOWN DETROIT THIS AFTERNOON
BEFORE THE CHARGING DECISION WAS
ANNOUNCED. LET’S BRING IN MARA
MACDONALD WITH THIS AND MARTHA
KENT COUNTY PROSECUTOR AS YOU
REPORTED DURING THE FIVE TODAY
PHONE, PETER LIOTTA. JUST
MINUTES BEFORE MAKING THIS
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT. JASON HE
SURE DID. AND HE GAVE HIM THE
INFO ON WHAT THE CHARGING
DECISION WOULD BE. HE GAVE HIM
HIS CONDOLENCES AND EXPLAIN WHY
IT TOOK 6 60 PLUS DAYS TO GET
HERE. AND WHAT HE WAS WAITING
FOR. TAKE A LISTEN. WHAT WE DO
THINK TODAY’S SHOWS INDONESIA
IT’S SOMETHING THAT BEN CRUMP
AND I COME UP ME AND BEN CRUMP.
ON THE BEHALF OF THE FAMILY,
JAMAICA BUT HAVE NOT JUST BEEN
SAYING OSAMA BIN PUBLICLY
SHOWING YOU IMPROVING TO YOU.
THE EVIDENCE NATION ABOUT NATION
MIGHT BE DANCING. THAT THERE IS
NO EXCUSE WHATSOEVER. PATRICK
BEING SHOT IN THE BACK OF THE
HEAD, PATRICK’S FATHER, PETER,
FLANKED BY ATTORNEY VAN JOHNSON
AND INTERPRETER ISRAEL. OOH UH I
WANT TO SAY AND I KNOW IF WE
DIDN’T SEE THE VIDEO, AND IF WE
DIDN’T SHOW THE WORLD WHAT
HAPPENED TO PATRICK? WE’RE NOT
GOING TO BE HERE WHERE WE ARE
PLEASED WITH THE CHARGING
DECISION, BOTH PATRICK’S FATHER
AND VAN JOHNSON ACKNOWLEDGED.
THIS IS NOT A CONVICTION, AND
THERE IS A LONG WAY TO GO. MY
HEART WAS REALLY BROKEN DURING
THESE TWO MONTHS THE LAST PAST
TWO MONTHS. BECAUSE A LOT OF
THINGS WERE SAID HOCKEY CATS WAS
NOT QUITE SURE WITH THE TRUTH IN
MY HAND. LOVE TO HAPPEN. ASSYRIA
AMERICAN AND I WAS THINKING
MAYBE THERE’S NO JUSTICE IN
AMERICA. BACK YOU’RE ALIVE, AND
JOHNSON SAYS, EXPECT CIVIL
LITIGATION TO BE FILED IN THIS
CASE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
WE’RE LIVE DOWNTOWN TONIGHT. I’M
MARA MACDONALD LOCAL 4 ALL
RIGHT, MARA. OF COURSE, WE’LL BE
WATCHING GRAND RAPIDS TONIGHT.
AND, OF COURSE, WAITING TO SEE
WHEN CHRISTOPHER SURE IS
APPEARING BEFORE A JUDGE THAT
COULD HAPPEN AS SOON AS
TOMORROW. MEANWHILE A REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR FACING
FEDERAL CHARGES FOR HIS ALLEGED
ROLE IN THE JANUARY 6TH RIOTS,
FBI AGENTS RAIDED RYAN KELLY’S
HOME AND ALAN DALE AND TOOK HIM
INTO CUSTODY ON MISDEMEANOR
CHARGES. FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS
SAY KELLY WAS RECORDED ON VIDEO
OUTSIDE THE CAPITAL ON THE DAY
OF THE RIOTS. KELLY IS ONE OF
FIVE CANDIDATES ON THE AUGUST
2ND REPUBLICAN PRIMARY BALLOT.
HIS ARREST MAKES FOR THE 15TH
MICHIGANDERS ARRESTED FOR THEIR
INVOLVEMENT IN THE JANUARY 6TH
ATTACK. HE WAS RELEASED THIS
AFTERNOON ON A PERSONAL BOND.
THE TIMING OF KELLY’S ARREST,
RAISING SOME EYEBROWS WINS.
TONIGHT IS THE FIRST HEARING FOR
THE JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE
INVESTIGATING THE CAPITAL ATTACK
. MICHIGAN WILL LIKELY HAVE A
LEADING ROLE IN TONIGHT’S
PRIMETIME HEARING. GRANT HERMES
WORKING ON THIS FOR US TODAY AND
GRANT. THERE’S A LOT OF MICHIGAN
GROUND TO COVER HERE. THERE
REALLY IS AND WE’RE TALKING MORE
THAN 17. MONTHS OF IT RIGHT NOW
IN MICHIGAN HAS CONSISTENTLY
BEEN AT THE CENTER OF ALL OF
THIS. WHETHER IT WAS A MOB OF
THE FORMER TCF CENTER ON
ELECTION NIGHT, TWO FALSE CLAIMS
OF VOTER FRAUD, FAKE SLATES OF
ELECTORS AND CAPITAL RIDERS. ALL
OF THAT, POINTING TO THE FACT
THAT MICHIGAN WILL LIKELY TAKE
CENTER STAGE TONIGHT AT THESE
HEARINGS. THE FIRST HEARING IS
EXPECTED TO FOCUS ON THE DAY OF
THE ATTACK. WHERE SO FAR 15
MICHIGANDERS HAD BEEN ARRESTED
AND CHARGED. SIX HAVE PLEADED
GUILTY TO CRIMES SURROUNDING
THAT DAY. PROMINENT MICHIGANDERS
MAY COME UNDER SCRUTINY LIKE
STATE REPRESENTATIVE MATT MANIC
, AND HIS WIFE, MICHIGAN
REPUBLICAN PARTY CO CHAIR
MISSION MADDOCK. THE PAYER
HELPED CHARTER MORE THAN A DOZEN
BUSSES TO THE STOP THE STEAL
RALLY. MATHEMATICA WAS ALSO
AMONG THE 16TH FALSE ELECTORS
WHO ATTEMPTED TO SUBMIT FORGE
ELECTION DOCUMENTS GIVING THE
ELECTION TO FORMER PRESIDENT
TRUMP ALSO POTENTIALLY GOP
CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR, RYAN
KELLY, WHO WAS ARRESTED AND
CHARGED JUST HOURS BEFORE THE
HEARINGS. THE COMMUNITY ALSO
SUBPOENAED FIVE MICHIGAN
REPUBLICANS, INCLUDING THE
STATE’S NATIONAL CHAIR, AND
FORMER STATE PARTY CHAIR, LAURA
COX. WE ALSO EXPECT TO HEAR FROM
SECRETARY OF STATE JOCELYN
BENSON, WHO TESTIFIED OVER VIDEO
TO THE COMMITTEE. SHE TALKED TO
LOCAL 4 ABOUT HER TESTIMONY BY
PHONE THIS AFTERNOON BECAME
CLEAR EVEN MORE CLEAR TO ME, AS
I SPOKE WITH THE COMMITTEE WAS
JUST HOW MUCH A LOT OF WHAT WE
EXPERIENCED. THROUGHOUT 2020 IN
MICHIGAN. LAID THE GROUNDWORK
FOR TRAGEDY AND OUR CAPITAL ON
JANUARY SIX. NOW ONE OTHER
PROMINENT MICHIGANDERS WE COULD
SEE IN THESE HEARINGS IS
CONGRESSWOMAN LISA MCLEAN. SHE
WAS AMONG THOSE MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS WHO DIDN’T CERTIFY
EVERY STATE’S SLATE OF ELECTORS
SHE WAS ALSO SEEN WITH WOULD BE
ATTACKERS IN HER OFFICE IN
PICTURES ON JANUARY 5TH JANUARY
. 6TH COMMITTEE DID NOT RESPOND
TO MY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER
MCLEAN WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
FORGIVING WHAT HAD BEEN SO
CALLED RECONNAISSANCE TOURS THE
DAY BEFORE THE JANUARY 6TH
ATTACK ON THE CAPITAL, FOR HER
PART, MCLEAN SAYING ON TWITTER
THAT THESE HEARINGS FROM THE
JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE OR A MEDIA
SHAM IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT,
GRANT HERMES. FOUR PEOPLE WILL
BE WATCHING AND YOU KNOW WE WILL
BE AS WELL. ALRIGHT GRANT NINE
PERSON JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE IS
MADE UP OF SEVEN DEMOCRATS, TWO
REPUBLICANS AND IT WILL MAKE ITS
CASE FOR 90 MINUTES DURING
PRIMETIME TONIGHT. YOU CAN WATCH
THAT RIGHT HERE ON LOCAL 4. AND
LOCAL 4 PLUS OUR SPECIAL
COVERAGE STARTS AT EIGHT. IT’S
ANCHORED BY LESTER HOLT, AND WE
WILL BE ALSO BRINGING IT TO YOU
ON CLICKONDETROIT’S DOT COM. IF
YOU MISS ANY OF IT, WILL RECAP
IT ON LOCAL 4 NEWS AT 11. TODAY
LEGISLATIVE LEADERS ARE CALLING
FOR THE PASSAGE OF FUNDING FOR
MORE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS THEY
MET AT THE DOWNTOWN BOXING GYM
IN DETROIT, DISCUSSING WAYS TO
ALLOW MORE STUDENTS THE
OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN
AFTER SCHOOL LEARNING. THE
DIRECTOR OF THE MICHIGAN AFTER
SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP, SAYS MORE
THAN 750,000. STUDENTS DON’T
HAVE ACCESS TO THESE PROGRAMS,
WHICH THEY SAY EDUCATES STUDENTS
IN VITAL LESSONS LEARNED.
OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM. THESE
FOLKS ARE GOING TO HELP STUDENTS
WITH THEIR UNFINISHED LEARNING
NEEDS CREATE SAFE SPACES OUTSIDE
OF SCHOOL HOURS AND AT
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES THAT
WILL FOSTER AND MOTIVATE DEEPER
ACADEMIC SUCCESS. STUDENTS AND
LEADERS TOOK A TOUR OF THE
BOXING GYM, WHICH PROVIDES