By Susan Smiley
The Macomb Daily, Mount Clemens, Mich.
WARREN, Mich. — Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer said during a press conference Wednesday that his officers followed department procedure to the letter during a Dec. 26 pursuit that resulted in the death of a fleeing motorist.
Dwyer showed police dash camera video of two uniformed officers pulling over a red Chevrolet Cruze on Van Dyke Avenue north of Nine Mile Road and the subsequent pursuit. He said officers executed the traffic stop when they noticed the license plate on the Cruze expired in 2022.
One officer can be heard telling the driver why he was stopped and the driver responds by telling the officer the car belonged to his girlfriend. When the officer asks for a driver’s license, the driver says he does not have any identification with him and the officer asks him to step out of the vehicle.
At that point, the driver takes off traveling west on Wood Avenue at a high rate of speed and the officers begin following the vehicle.
“It was a judgment call by the officers that I support totally,” said Dwyer. “It was a moderate pursuit, there was no pedestrian traffic, road conditions were not hazardous and vehicle traffic was light.”
“We all feel bad that someone lost their life, but the officers were doing their jobs and if he would have stopped, we would not be here today.”
Dwyer estimated the police vehicle was traveling between 50 and 70 mph during the chase.
The dash camera video shows the Cruze going over the curb and driving across grassy areas in Center Line near Sherwood and Lawrence avenues and on to 10 Mile Road with the car heading west at a high rate of speed. Other marked police vehicles attempt to stop the fleeing vehicle during the pursuit, but the driver does not appear to make any attempt to pull over.
“In addition to being monitored in real time, all pursuits are reviewed internally by shift supervisors to ensure policy compliance,” said Dwyer. “The officers’ actions in this case were consistent with Warren Police policy and procedure.”
The video shows a red traffic light at 10 Mile and Ryan roads and the Cruze wedged underneath a Penske box truck in the intersection. The actual crash was not captured by the dash camera because the police appear to be about a quarter mile behind the Cruze at that point of the pursuit.
“The video clearly shows the driver disregards the solid red traffic light at 10 and Ryan, ultimately crashing into a Penske box truck,” Dwyer said. “The officers immediately exited their vehicle and attempted to make contact with the driver and called EMS.”
Warren fire personnel attempted life-saving measures on the driver who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the Cruze was a 24-year-old Black male Warren resident.
When asked why police would opt to pursue someone over a seemingly minor, non-violent infraction, Dwyer said that in many cases, a person fleeing and eluding has a warrant for their arrest, is in the process of committing a crime, or has been previously convicted of a felony
“A recently stolen Glock handgun was located on the driver’s floorboard next to the suspect’s leg,” said Dwyer.
Dwyer said officers did not see the handgun when they first stopped the vehicle and talked to the driver. The Cruze was not reported stolen, but was not registered to the driver.
“The driver had a suspended license and a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest,” said Dwyer. “In addition, the driver had a 2018 felony conviction in Oakland County as well as a 2019 felony conviction for possession of a firearm by a felon out of Wayne County.”
Dwyer said Warren police executed 293 vehicle pursuits in 2023, 60 of which were terminated prior to capturing a suspect. There were 362 pursuits in 2022.
“I firmly believe if the driver had exited the vehicle as instructed by the police officers, he would be alive today,” Dwyer said. “Quite frankly, he made the decision that ultimately cost him his life.
“I care that someone lost their life, but I care about the safety of my officers, too; they did the right thing.”
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