Former Warren police officer charged in fatal 2024 crash headed to trial
The former Warren, Michigan, police officer charged in the September 2024 crash that killed two men will stand trial, the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office said Friday.
James Burke, 29, is charged with two counts of manslaughter with a motor vehicle, one count of a moving violation causing serious impairment of a body function and one count of willful neglect of duty in the Sept. 30 crash.
Officials said Burke was driving his patrol car near Schoenherr Road and Prospect Avenue when the car collided with a Dodge Durango. Both people in the Durango, 34-year-old Cedric Hayden Jr. and 33-year-old DeJuan Pettis, were killed, and a police officer riding with Burke was hospitalized.
The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office said it's alleged that Burke was driving "at a high rate of speed without his emergency lights or siren" when the collision happened.
A court official at the 37th District Court in Warren said Friday that Burke is bound over to stand trial at the Macomb County Circuit Court. He's set to be arraigned on Sept. 2.
Judge John M. Chmura decided to move forward with a trial following a preliminary hearing, which included witness testimony from a sheriff's deputy about how fast Burke's cruiser was traveling before the crash.
"Our thoughts remain with the families who have suffered an unimaginable loss," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a news release on Friday. "No matter the profession or background of the defendant, we are committed to ensuring that all individuals are held accountable under the law."
If convicted, Burke faces a maximum prison sentence of just over 31 years.
Fieger Law, on behalf of the families of Pettis and Hayden, filed a $100 million lawsuit against the Warren Police Department in October 2024. The families said they're looking to hold the agency accountable for what they're calling "negligence" on behalf of the officers involved in the crash.
The law firm filed a separate $100 million lawsuit on behalf of Pettis' family, which alleges the officers failed to follow traffic laws and were driving over 100 mph when the crash happened.