Warren police face another multimillion-dollar lawsuit

WARREN — The Warren Police Department called a press conference Oct. 30 to address a $60 million lawsuit brought by Brittiny Turner, who was injured in a car crash that allegedly resulted from a high-speed police chase.

Turner, of Center Line, is in her mid-30s and is the mother of young children. According to her legal complaint submitted by paralegal Oliver Gantt, the accident left her disfigured, disabled, and unable to work or take care of herself.

“It’s a blessing that young lady is still here,” Gantt said. “She coded three times.”

Coded often refers to having a cardiac arrest where lifesaving measures are needed.

According to Gantt, Turner’s husband has become her caregiver.

The crash happened at approximately 8:50 a.m. Saturday, June 8. According to the complaint filed in Macomb County Circuit Court, Turner was traveling westbound on Eight Mile Road in Warren when the Dodge Charger police were chasing hit a semitruck and her BMW, causing it to burst into flames. Her complaint states the police vehicle did not engage a siren or flashing lights. As a result, Warren police were allegedly negligent, grossly negligent and recklessly driving or copiloting a city of Warren vehicle. In addition, the complaint states the city of Warren patrol car was driving at “extremely dangerous speeds close to and likely exceeding 100 mph.”

The combination of the patrol car’s high speed with no sirens and no flashing lights endangered the public and the plaintiff, according to the complaint.

Typically, the Warren Police Department does not comment publicly on pending litigation, according to Lt. John Gajewski, the department’s public information officer.

“In this particular case, the narrative being told is so blatantly incorrect, we feel that it is necessary to respond with a video of facts that could have easily been obtained by FOIA by anybody who requested it,” he said.

It started with a traffic stop because no plates were seen on the 2023 Dodge Charger the suspect, the man police were chasing, was driving.

According to the video, the Dodge Charger was pulled over, then sped off from police, which resulted in a high-speed chase.

“We did have a vehicle pursuit. It lasted approximately 10 minutes,” Gajewski said.

The patrol car could be seen racing through Warren residential neighborhoods. The pursuit ended at Eight Mile and Mound roads.

“The media reported that Miss Turner was injured when involved in a motor vehicle accident due to negligent actions by Warren police vehicles. This is quite simply not true,” Gajewski said.

He said the driver of the vehicle being chased was responsible for the crash.

“(The lawsuit) claims that our officers engaged in a vehicle pursuit of a suspect vehicle without lights or sirens activated. This is also clearly false,” Gajewski added.

In the video, a siren was heard but from the angle of the camera flashing lights could not be seen on either the primary or secondary patrol cars that were in pursuit. According to the video, there was a third police vehicle that appeared to be in front of the secondary patrol car with its flashing lights activated. That police car appeared to be stopped at the time of the accident, according to the video.

The Warren Police Department contends the lawsuit was filed solely to gain media attention. Police said the lawsuit used “inflammatory buzzwords” and is “solely focused on profit.”

“The city attorneys have assured us that the law in Michigan provides a basis for immediate dismissal of Miss Turner’s lawsuit because there was never any contact with her vehicle and a city-owned vehicle,” Gajewski said. “In addition, lights and sirens were clearly audible and visible.”

At the accident site, the Warren police were seen in the video extinguishing the fire and pulling Turner out of her vehicle.

The driver in the suspect vehicle was arrested at the scene. According to police, he later pleaded guilty to fleeing and eluding charges in the second degree, a 10-year felony.

This lawsuit comes in the wake of two $100 million lawsuits against the Warren Police Department for operating police vehicles at high speeds without lights or sirens.

On Sept. 30, a Warren police SUV was traveling at speeds estimated to be more than 100 mph, when it crashed into the Dodge Durango DeJuan Pettis, 33, of Detroit, was driving. Pettis and his best friend, Cedric Hayden Jr., 34, of Warren, a passenger in the vehicle, were both killed.

The estate of Pettis filed a $100 million lawsuit Oct. 29 against the city of Warren, the Warren Police Department and officers “John Doe 1” and “John Doe 2.” This follows the $100 million lawsuit filed by the estate of Hayden Oct. 4 against the same defendants.

Policies regarding high-speed pursuits are continually being reviewed, according to Gajewski. Pursuits are reviewed by shift supervisors and then by administration. Alternatives to capturing suspects who flee are constantly being considered, he said.

So far in 2024, the Warren Police Department has had approximately 250 pursuits, according to Gajewski, which has decreased about 20%.

“To boast that you have already had more than 250 high-speed pursuits is negligence in itself,” said Gantt, who is a member of Turner’s legal team. “Warren has a history of high-speed pursuits. They love it. They are rogue right now because they don’t have a chief (commissioner) in place.”