Overview
- The crash that killed Cedric Hayden Jr. and DeJuan Pettis occurred on Sept. 30, 2024, when a Warren patrol SUV struck a turning Dodge Durango.
- Jury selection for former officer James Burke's criminal trial began Tuesday in Macomb County Circuit Court and witness testimony has started.
- Prosecutors say Burke's patrol vehicle reached roughly 114–117 miles per hour seconds before impact and that no emergency lights or siren were activated.
- The defense plans to argue an improper left turn by the Durango and possible impairment of its occupants and will contest whether officers would have used lights or sirens in that response.
- The victims' families are pursuing a parallel civil suit with Fieger Law and the trial's outcome could affect legal scrutiny and policy around police emergency driving.