Family-ordered autopsy says officer shot Patrick Lyoya in back of head

April 20 (UPI) -- An autopsy commissioned by the family of Patrick Lyoya, a Black man who was killed by Michigan police early this month following a traffic stop, found that he died of a gunshot in the back of his head.

Lyoya was pulled over by police in Grand Rapids on April 4 and he was shot during an ensuing confrontation. The autopsy found no other injuries, which family attorneys say indicate that Lyoya was not fighting with the officer.

Michigan pathologist Dr. Werner Spitz disclosed the details of the autopsy during a news conference on Tuesday.

"There was no other injury, from the top of the head to the big toe," Spitz said according to the Detroit Free Press. "No other injury."

Family attorney Ven Johson noted that although Lyoya did resist arrest, the autopsy shows that he "was not actively fighting this officer, hence you have no physical injuries to the knuckles, face, body."

Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump said the police officer had pushed Lyoya's head to the ground during the arrest. The officer had stopped Lyoya for improper registration for his vehicle.

"He is in complete control of Patrick at this point," Crump said, according to the Free Press. "Both his knees have him to the ground, where he has control of him. Common sense will tell you, if he did not have control, you would not remove your dominant hand."

Spokeswoman Lori Latham said Kent County Chief Medical Examiner Stephen Cohle is still awaiting toxicology results to complete the official autopsy, which could take as many as 60 days. She said that Cohle has asked for the results to be expedited.

The shooting death of Lyoya, 26, an immigrant from the Democratic Republic of Congo, led to demonstrations in Grand Rapids. About 100 protesters marched to police headquarters last week and some have accused the police of racial profiling.

Authorities released several videos last week that captured the arrest and Lyoya's death, including body camera footage.

The police officer who shot Lyoya has not yet been identified and officials said that he won't be unless there are criminal charges.