MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – Former Warren police officer James Burke, who was charged with manslaughter in a high-speed crash that killed two men in 2024, was found not guilty by a jury on all charges.
Burke, who was on duty at the time, was driving more than 100 mph when his patrol vehicle slammed into a turning Dodge Durango, killing 34-year-old Cedric Hayden Jr. and 33-year-old DeJuan Pettis.
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Prosecutors said Burke was driving without his emergency lights or siren activated and was not involved in a pursuit when the crash happened.
The crash happened in September 2024.
Hayden and Pettis were in the Durango, turning and heading home, when Burke’s patrol SUV struck them. Both men were killed.
Burke was charged with two counts of manslaughter, moving violation causing serious impairment of a body function and wilful neglect of duty.
On June 11, the jury found Burke not guilty of all charges.