“Warren police have failed.” A woman who was injured in an accident after a chase filed a lawsuit

WARREN, Mich. (WXYZ) – Some would say mother-of-four Brittney Turner’s life was perfect. She got married on August 5, 2022, her birthday in Hawaii.

“I traveled, lived my life, enjoyed my family, my children,” she said.

But in one moment her life changed. On June 8, 2024, around 9 a.m., she was involved in a terrible accident at 8 Mile and Mound roads.

“My signal turned green, I went on the route and I remember being hit from behind. And I remember saying, “God, you can’t take me like this. I have kids,” Turner said.

Turner’s SUV was on fire when Warren police apprehended the suspect after a high-speed chase.

Details I’ve gathered through the Freedom of Information Act, including dash cam footage, show a chase that lasted miles started in Warren at Rooney Drive and Marlowe Drive.

See dash cam and body cam footage in the video below

A dash cam and a Warren police body camera captured the crash

The police officers stopped the vehicle because the suspect’s car did not have license plates. The video shows police chasing the Dodge Charger through several neighborhoods, with several other units joining them with lights and sirens. The pursuit ended when the fleeing suspect crashed into Turner’s BMW along with three other vehicles.

This is a site that still gives Turner goosebumps.

“Broken pelvis in three places. It’s hard for me to sit for long periods of time. That’s why I’m shaking so much. Nerve problems, broken jaw, memory loss, three broken toes. Can’t wash. or wipe myself, right arm or arm Warren policeman has to pay for it,” she said.

Through her attorney, Turner filed a $60 million civil lawsuit against the city and the department’s police officers involved in the chase, seeking emotional and physical damages.

“It seems to me that the system has failed. Warren police failed and they are here to protect and serve,” she said.

The latest crash involving Warren police was not a pursuit, but it was fatal. It was early morning on Sept. 30 when Warren’s high-speed patrol car crashed, killing 34-year-old Cedric Hayden and 33-year-old DeJuan Pettis.

Related Video: $100 Million Lawsuit Filed Against Warren, Cops In Crash That Killed 2

$100 million lawsuit filed against Warren and cops in crash that killed 2

Their families also filed $100 lawsuits against the city and its police department. Pettis’ family filed a statement Wednesday, and Hayden’s on Oct. 4. According to the complaint, a Warren police vehicle traveling over 100 miles per hour collided with an SUV carrying two men.

“It’s like a weekly occurrence where they just fly by, sirens wailing most of the time, and it’s only a matter of time before something happens. And, unfortunately, something did happen,” said the witness, who wished to remain anonymous. .

The witness, who did not want to be identified, works at the business at Prospect Avenue and Schoenherr Road and saw the aftermath of the Sept. 30 crash.

“I fully understand that they need to get the job done on time and some of the situations are extremely critical, but I would like to see something that at least limits the speed of their movement,” he said.

Previous coverage: Warren holds vigil for 2 best friends killed in crash that also injured 2 officers

A vigil was held in Warren for friends killed in a crash that also injured police officers

Meanwhile, the son of Detroit activist Oliver Gantt was also injured last year when a suspect fleeing from Warren police crashed into his son’s car.

“The chase is excessive; they are not justified. It’s especially negligent when you’re flying down the street in your company car and someone crashes and you don’t have your siren on. Detroit has simplified its policy, saying we’re not going to do chases “we don’t cause accidents, we don’t kill people here,” Grant said.

I also asked Warren police several times to interview them, but they refused for weeks due to pending lawsuits. On Wednesday, the department finally held a press conference. Lt. John Hajewski said the department would not comment on the incident involving Pettis and Hayden.

Hear Warren Police’s response to the lawsuit in the video below

Warren police responded to a lawsuit filed against a woman who was injured in a crash

Gajewski says they never received any complaints from Turner.

“The public needs to see how this lawsuit contains inflammatory, loud words included solely for the purpose of garnering media attention and damaging the reputation of the hardworking men and women of this police department,” Gajewski said.

Gajewski says that contrary to the lawsuit, police lights and sirens were activated during the pursuit and the lawsuit has no merit because the police unit never hit Turner’s vehicle. But the dashcam footage shows the main police unit was about 19 seconds away, so Turner says she never heard sirens or saw lights.

I asked Gajewski how he would react to comments that the crash would never have happened if the chase hadn’t happened.

“This is a very valid opinion. I watched this video and I see our officers doing what our residents expect us to do,” he replied.

I also asked him when the chase was going to end since the one with Turner was going through residential neighborhoods.

“Again, harassment on a residential street is not an automatic disqualification,” Gaevsky said.

I was able to obtain a copy of the Warren Police Department’s harassment policy. However, the Prohibited Actions section has been removed.

“It’s funny. Too many families are suffering,” Turner said.

I also contacted Warren Mayor Lori Stone for an interview, and her team said that since this is a matter of police policy and procedure, the police department would be best qualified to answer my questions. In addition, Warren’s new police commissioner, Eric Hawkins, is scheduled to take office in December.

I asked Turner, “If you had a chance to ask the new commissioner a question, what would you ask him?”

“How are you going to change? What are you going to change? And if it was your daughter or your grandson, how would you feel?”