Fired Warren police officers charged for violent 2023 traffic stop
FOX 2 (WJBK) - Two fired Warren police officers were arraigned on assault charges for a violent traffic stop and arrest they conducted outside their jurisdiction in July 2023.
On Friday, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office said officers Dammeon Player and Carlos Taylor used unnecessary force when arresting a truck driver in Center Line. The attack was captured on body camera video.
Player, 50, was charged with felonious assault, a four-year felony, and public official willful failure to uphold the law, a one-year misdemeanor.
Taylor, 28, was charged with public official willful failure to uphold the law, a one-year misdemeanor, and assault and battery, a 93-day misdemeanor.
Sources say the victim’s legal team reached a $400,000 settlement outside of court in just over a month, which is highly unusual.
"I’ve been with Fieger Law for 24 years now and never in my career have I ever seen a case from the date of the incident get resolved within 33 days," said Attorney James Herrington.
Herrington is suing the City of Warren for $50 million in a separate and unrelated case that took place in June of 2023 – where ex-officer Matthew Rodriguez struck a carjacking suspect multiple times, knocking him to the ground during his booking. The incident was caught on surveillance video.
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Herrington said something just doesn’t add up when it comes to the Warren Police Department.
"I think there’s a lot of curious circumstances that have a lot of questions that are unanswered that I do think that Warren should be transparent and answer," he said.
Now-terminated Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer sent FOX 2 a letter that he originally sent to another media outlet about the Center Line case.
In the letter, Dwyer said that the semi-truck driver who was assaulted did not lodge a complaint against the department. Furthermore, the city's legal department handled the settlement, not the Warren police.
Dwyer also said he kicked the case to the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department for an independent review.
Earlier this week, he defended his tenure as Warren’s top cop.
"I think my reputation speaks for itself as far as my integrity, my professionalism, and my commitment to the job," Dwyer said.
On the other hand, Mayor Lori Stone said she only learned about the Center Line case after media reports.
"The case was resolved after the two Warren officers involved faced criminal charges and were fired from the Warren Police Department," Stone said.
Stone fired Dwyer despite his retirement announcement after the two disagreed on how future officers should be hired.
The mayor also emphasized that new police leadership will keep the department at "the forefront of recruiting and training" to uphold integrity.
FOX 2 was unable to reach the attorney of the semi-truck driver in the Center Line incident at this time.