In the city of Warren, Michigan, the local police department finds itself embroiled in legal battles over its pursuit protocol, following two separate incidents that led to tragedy and serious injury. The first involves a fatal car crash that resulted in the death of DeJuan Pettis and Cedrick Hayden Jr., prompting their families to file separate $100 million lawsuits against the Warren Police Department. The second lawsuit, filed by Brittny Turner for $60 million, stems from an injury she sustained when a fleeing suspect collided with her car.
On September 30, early in the morning, a Warren police car was involved in a collision that claimed the lives of Pettis and Hayden. Charisse Brown, Pettis's mother, has expressed her grief publicly and, along with Hayden's family, is seeking accountability from law enforcement. The law firm Fieger Law is representing both parties and one of their attorneys, James J. Harrington IV, emphasized the urgency of this accountability, stating "These men were both killed tragically killed by reckless conduct of the Warren Police Department," according to a report by WXYZ. The Macomb County Sheriff's Office is currently overseeing the ongoing investigation, and an update is expected soon.
In a separate incident on June 8, Turner's vehicle was struck by Keith Jones, who was allegedly evading police in a Dodge Charger. Warren police contend that they followed protocol, activating lights and sirens, and have dashcam footage as evidence, which contradicts Turner's account of the events. "I don't remember seeing nor hearing any lights and sirens. I didn't have my music on. I had my sunroof open, and I had my windows partially down," Turner recounted in a statement, as per CBS News Detroit. Turner suffered multiple injuries and voiced relief at being alive, saying, "I'm okay. I just thank God I'm here to be a mother, a wife, just all the way around."
Warren Police Lt. John Gajewski, addressing Turner's lawsuit, underscored that Keith Jones chose to flee, which led to the high-speed chase, and the eventual collision with Turner's vehicle. "There is one person who made the decision to turn this from a traffic stop to a vehicle pursuit, and that is Keith Jones," Gajewski explained, as per a statement from the FOX 2 Detroit report. The department is anticipating the dismissal of the lawsuit, based on the evidence at hand.
