Hit-and-run suspect that killed off-duty Detroit police officer in crash had suspended license
DETROIT (FOX 2) - The hit-and-run suspect in the crash that killed off-duty Detroit Police Officer Cameron Richardson faced a judge Thursday, where his defense attorney argued it was a tragic accident.
Dayjon Antwian Macon received a $250,000 cash surety bond and was placed under house arrest with a GPS tether by the court for allegedly leaving the scene of the fatal crash, which occurred at the intersection of Hoover and Griener at 12 a.m. Sunday.
Macon, who has no previous criminal record, was driving on a suspended license.
"The first thing that troubled me was that he had a suspended license," said Judge William Burton. "I don't know what caused him to drive in the center lane, but he fled the scene. Maybe he's a bad driver, maybe he was asleep. Whatever it was, the court finds those two things particularly troublesome.
"And I don't think he's going to stop driving based on the court's order."
Macon's attorney, Phillip Ragan, argued that the cash bond was excessive and said the 28-year-old is a state-paid caregiver who helps his two brothers, one with cerebral palsy and the other with autism. He also cares for his aunt and grandmother, for whom the van he was driving was registered.
At the time of the crash, the white van Macon was allegedly driving attempted to make a left turn in front of Richardson's vehicle, striking his Jeep.
"It's a tragic situation, your honor, but it only takes a split second for a car to veer and have this kind of impact," Ragan said. "But it's an accident. It is not an intentional act."
The prosecution said Macon was identified by passengers who were inside the van at the time, paperwork showing the van was registered to his grandmother, and Green Light video. Despite his grandmother telling police he would turn himself in, he was eventually taken into custody during a traffic stop by the Detroit Police Department.
Assistant Prosecutor Lisa Coyle argued that Macon should never have been driving and had ample opportunities to report what happened, even after allegedly leaving the scene.
"He told people allegedly that he knew he killed somebody and left them," Coyle said. "When you hit that car, you have an obligation to stop and aid others and call police. He failed to do that three times: when he hit the car, when he got home, and when he left that vehicle on that street. He never called police."
The defense argued that "people drive on suspended licenses all the time" and receive personal bonds from the court.
"This is not a trial; it is a hearsay document—these are allegations," Ragan said. "To try this case now at arraignment, I disagree with that."
But Judge Burton refused to reduce the bond.
Related: Father of off-duty DPD officer killed in hit-and-run crash: 'He always put people first'
"Not only do I find him to be a flight risk based on his past behavior, leaving the scene of the accident, I do think he is a danger to the community if he continues to drive," he said.
Macon will next appear in court on Monday, Jan. 13.
Richardson, a police officer for just over a year with the Ninth Precinct — was an Army veteran, enlisting after high school. He was on his way home after work at the time of the crash.