Ex-Warren police officer found not guilty of manslaughter in crash that killed 2 men

Former Warren police officer James Burke, who was charged with manslaughter in a 2024 high-speed crash that killed two men, has been found not guilty of all charges.

Burke was charged with two counts of manslaughter, one count of a moving violation causing serious and one count of willful neglect of duty after his police cruiser crashed into a white Dodge Durango, killing 34-year-old Cedric Hayden Jr. and 33-year-old DeJuan Pettis.  

On Thursday, a Macomb County jury found Burke not guilty on all charges. 

The crash happened around 5 a.m. on Sept. 30, 2024, when Burke was pursuing a stolen vehicle down Schoenherr Road near Prospect Avenue and rammed into a Durango attempting to turn left, carrying Hayden and Pettis. Macomb County prosecutors say Burke was traveling at nearly 115 mph "without his emergency lights or siren" at the time of the crash 

Hayden and Pettis died on impact from their injuries. 

Macomb County prosecutors said that Burke was at fault and his actions were reckless, while Burke's defense team argued that the driver, Hayden, who was driving with a suspended license, was under the influence at the time of the crash. Toxicology results later revealed that Hayden's blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit. 

After one week, the jury was handed Burke's case on Wednesday afternoon after both sides rested. 

"Deep down in my soul, I kind of figured they was going to let him go. I didn't want to hear, I didn't want to say it, because there wasn't no fair justice," said Hayden's father, Cedric Hayden Sr. 

In October 2024, Fieger Law filed a $100 million lawsuit on behalf of the families of Hayden and Pettis against the Warren Police Department. 

James Harrington, the Hayden family's civil attorney, says he is outraged over the verdict and says the civil case against Burke and the Warren Police Department is still underway. 

"In my entire career, I don't remember a time where I've been more hurt, where there is such a lack of justice," Harrington said.