Michigan Police Killings Surging, Among Nation's Leaders, Report says

MICHIGAN — As police killings surge across the country, people fatally shot by officers in Michigan are increasing at an alarming rate, data from The Washington Post showed.

So far in 2022, eleven people in Michigan have been shot to death by police officers, putting the state among the nation's leaders in fatal police shootings. At the current rate, Michigan is on pace to record at least 30 fatal police shootings, an increase from 24 last year and a number trending upward since 2019.

Since 2015, Michigan has recorded 127 fatal police shootings, placing the state somewhere in the middle of the nation across that time period. Overall, the country has seen 7,342 fatal police shootings since 2015, a steady increase each year since 2016, the data showed.

Michigan's surge in police shootings come amid national fallout over a Grand Rapids officer who fatally shot 26-year-old Patrick Lyoya last month. The officer was seen struggling with Lyoya on camera before he ultimately pinned him to the ground and fatally shot Lyoya in the back of the head.

The killing led to widespread protests and calls for police reform, something that has been gaining traction among activists and nationwide leaders since George Floyd was murdered by former Minnesota Police Officer Derek Chauvin.

However, some Michigan police leaders feel that anti-police rhetoric is contributing to the rise of violent encounters between police officers and the public.

"We just saw the incident that took place in Grand Rapids," Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police Robert Stevenson told MLive. "We need to take it to them. That’s pretty inflammatory. The investigation hasn’t even been completed and we’ve had this rush to judgment."

While Michigan lawmakers have proposed numerous police reform bills that included limiting an officer's pressure that can used to the throat, the use of no-knock warrants and stronger discipline for excessive use of force, the bills have stalled in the Michigan legislature.

"I have no idea when the next person is going die and we have to learn their name," Sen. Adam Hollier, a Democrat from Detroit, recently told fellow lawmakers in a heartfelt floor speech.