'This was reckless': $100M lawsuit filed against Warren police after officer-involved crash that killed 2
WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - The families of two men killed in a crash with Warren police are seeking $100,000,000 from the department and officers involved.
Cedric Hayden Jr., 34, was driving with his best friend, 33-year-old Dejuan Pettis, in a Dodge Durango early Sept. 30. As they turned left onto Prospect Avenue from Schoenherr Road, they were hit by a Warren police vehicle occupied by two officers. The officers were injured, while Hayden Jr. and Pettis were killed.
Family of Hayden and Pettis retained Fieger Law after the deadly crash.
"This was reckless. This was senseless. And these men should be here with their families," said James Harrington, managing partner of Fieger Law. "This was a situation that should have never had happened under any circumstances."
Neighbor's video captures high-speed crash that killed 2 men, injured 2 officers: 'Senseless'
"That’s the key issue." he said. "If he would’ve seen the lights, he would have never turned in front of the police. So they seem like they was doing at least 80, 90 miles an hour."
Harrington spoke about the lawsuit on Monday while surrounded by family members of both men.
"Why did the people who is supposed to save us take away our family?" said Dejuan Jr., Pettis' young son during the press conferecne.
Harrington said the law firm has investigated the crash extensively and is still waiting for answers to many questions.
"Of course they were speeding, of course they’re at fault, but ask yourself why," Harrington said. "What were they doing? What was so important to put every member of our community, every member of the community on Schoennerr."
Harrington said the law firm believes the officers were driving more than 100 mph or more when they hit the men. He said they are awaiting the black box from the patrol vehicle to confirm just how fast the police were going.
'Like a missile': Investigation ongoing after 2 killed in violent crash with Warren police
The Macomb County Sheriff's Office is investigating a violent crash involving Warren police that killed two men.
"Why was they going so fast? Why no lights? This is a 35 mile per hour street," Teresa Ford, Hayden Jr.'s mother said last week after seeing footage of the crash.
The speed limit is 40 mph on Schoenherr in the area where the crash happened.
The investigation has been turned over to the Macomb County Sheriff's Office.
The lawsuit filed Friday is on behalf of Hayden Jr., with plans to file on behalf of Pettis soon. That suit names the Warren Police Department and the two officers invovled. Fieger Law says the lawsuit is the first of several that the firm will file. Harrington said one of those lawsuits will be a civil rights suit.
"They (Warren police) want to keep Detroit out, and they will use aggressive and dangerous police pursuit police procedures to do that. It's called border patrol," Harrington said of the police department.