WARREN, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Detroit man is facing charges after fleeing from police in Warren and later crashing into a vehicle, killing a 71-year-old woman.
Watch Darren Cunningham's video report:
In an update on Wednesday, police say the suspect, 33-year-old Anthony Grier of Detroit, is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree fleeing and eluding, and resisting and obstructing police. He was arraigned and remanded to jail.
According to officials, two Warren police officers attempted to make a traffic stop on the driver of a black Chrysler 300 who was reportedly driving recklessly in the area of Van Dyke and Miller around 9:33 p.m. Saturday. The driver, police say, did not stop, leading to a pursuit.
The driver of one of the vehicles involved in the crash was a 71-year-old woman. She was later identified as Wendy Drew of Hazel Park. Police say she was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The occupants of the second vehicle involved in the crash did not sustain serious injuries, police say.
According to the dashcam time stamp, the chase lasted nearly six minutes. Speeds were in excess of 100 mph at times, the commissioner said.
Watch dashcam video of the pursuit in the video below
(Please note: the video released is not in full. Police say they have released an edited version due to the open investigation.)
Police say the incident started when police saw Grier driving 72 mph in a 40 mph zone down Van Dyke. They turned around and attempted to pull him over when he took off.
The chase went down Van Dyke, and officers say he disregarded six red lights before the crash happened at 9 Mile and Van Dyke. Police say officers blocked the intersections at 12 Mile and 11 Mile, and they also attempted to use stop sticks 10 Mile.
Dashcam video showed the suspect driving at high speeds, on sidewalks and swerving around cars before the crash.
Watch below: Warren residents push for change after 2 dangerous police chases in 3 days
"There was a total disregard of life on that road," Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido said in a statement.
"This is a tragedy and outcome that no officer ever wants to see. We understand the gravity of this moment. The loss of Ms. Drew has reverberated throughout this department," Warren Police Commissioner Eric Hawkins added during the press conference.
Watch Darren Cunningham's report about Saturday's crash below:
"Mr. Grier consciously decided to continue. He consciously made a choice to expose the community to harm through his dangerous actions," Hawkins added. "Ms. Drew lost her life because of his selfish and criminal behaviors."
A second police chase Monday in Warren has residents speaking out for change. It was the second pursuit in the past three days, and it's an issue we've been covering for years.
In the second police chase, Warren police say 25-year-old Xavier Powell led them on a high-speed chase down Audrey Avenue, causing lots of damage. They say the Warren resident was drunk. That suspect is facing several charges,
7 News Detroit reached out to Mayor Lori Stone and Hawkins for comment. Stone deferred to Hawkins, who had no comment Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Hawkins talked about pursuits in the City of Warren, calling it a very complex issue. He said that he's aware of the perception in the city, and that all pursuits are reviewed.
Hear more from Hawkins in the video below
According to Hawkins, police pursuits are down 50% compared to the same time period last year, and about half of those pursuits have been terminated by either an officer or a supervisor. He said an "overwhelming majority" of the pursuits have been found to be in bounds.
"There’s irrefutable data and evidence that show this police department and city have made substantial strides," Hawkins said.
Hawkins said that Warren's pursuit policy has been approved and vetted by the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, and every chase is monitored in real-time by a supervisor.
"This is not a police problem. This is a people problem. People who have refused to comply with lawful orders. People who have refused to have a sanctity of life underlying philosophy when they are out in the streets. That has to be addressed," Hawkins said. "We will do our own part. We will continue to train. We will continue to make our officers aware of the challenges with this high-risk activity. We’ll continue to trend in the right direction."
We spoke with City Council President Angela Rogensues, who says the council can't change the police chase policy.
"I support our police department, and I've heard a number of reasons why we continue to chase despite unfortunate circumstances that have occurred. Also (I) understand folks’ calls for a change in that policy," Rogensues said.
Rogensues says she's talked with the police union and Detroit City Councilman Scott Benson on possible solutions since some chases end up in Detroit.
"We've been working and formally trying to assemble a group of folks to sponsor a bill to require additional punishments for folks who are fleeing police. Right now, the punishments are not as severe and they're usually the first charge that's dropped," Rogensues said.
"One of those alternatives is to purchase a helicopter, and a helicopter follows a car once they've been chased and is able to call additional police to visit a driveway or wherever that person has parked, so we're no longer chasing. The city of Warren is not in a position to be able to purchase a helicopter."
