Grand Rapids.

It could have been any of us black men in this city. It always can be any black man in this city.

For some reason, it’s always been difficult for me to fully embrace my city - Grand Rapids, Michigan.

It’s been a rocky relationship between me and this city. I’ve always wanted to leave, but she apparently has kept a hold on me. I came back, even after I escaped and moved to Chicago, a bucket list city of sorts for me. I can’t explain that. Not really.

Grand Rapids has become, dare I say, likable. It’s been a good city for my family and me. My wife and I were married in this city, our two daughters were born here. It’s become our city, for better or worse.

I guess it’s just been easier here for me.

It’s easy to move around this city, everything is within ten miles, and the food scene won’t always test your imagination like in the big cities, but you can get what you need.

Big ideas have been slowly becoming a little less risky here. A tiny bit more trendy perhaps.

But it hasn’t been all positive. Many nights my wife and I have played “gunshots or fireworks” while watching our favorite shows from our couch. It’s here that a Grand Rapids police officer pointed his gun at unarmed black teenagers. The department later said that the officer acted with, “professionalism”. Last year, the GRPD wrongfully arrested a black man because he was driving the same type of vehicle as another black man.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told I look like someone I’m not.

It’s terrifying.

Now, we are dealing with the murder of Patrick Lyoya. Here in my city. Another black man murdered by a police officer. We’ve seen it time and time again. Unarmed black men being killed by police. Sometimes being kneed in the neck. Sometimes murdered in front of their children. Sometimes being murdered with their hands up. This time, Patrick Lyoya was murdered while lying face down and the officer straddling his back.

Shot at point-blank range. Caught on video.

No, Patrick Lyoya shouldn’t have resisted arrest.

No, he shouldn’t have run from the officer.

I get that. But, is that even why he was killed? Because he ran?

Honest question, why are we even putting police officers in this position to begin with? Seeing as one man is now dead, it’s obvious that the officer wasn’t equipped to properly handle whatever it was he thought he was handling.

It’s unclear to me why the officer felt the need to stop in the first place. I suppose that information will come out in an investigation. But, nothing that happened prior to the shot being fired in that video released today should have resulted in a loss of life.

The death of an unarmed, 26-year-old black man.

At 8:10 on a Monday morning.

A time when I’m usually dropping my daughter off at school. It could have been me.

It always can be me.

That’s the problem. It could have been any of us black men in this city. It always can be any black man in this city.

It can always be any black man in this country.

Patrick Lyoya was murdered by a Grand Rapids Police officer roughly two miles from my house. Two miles.

And I’m supposed to feel safe here?

With the same GRPD SUVs patrolling my neighborhood as well?

I am angry. I am pissed off. I am tired. I am hurt. I am frustrated. I am disappointed.

I am sick of it.

It sucks.

At what point will enough be enough? When will we say, no more?

If you are pro-life, can you justify death? Can you excuse murder?

This cannot continue.