Detroit police officers to be arraigned Monday for deadly crash neglect accusation

Stephen Heid, Ronald Cadez have been on paid leave since October crash

DETROIT – Two Detroit police officers will be arraigned Monday morning at the 36th District Court on charges connected to a fatal car crash this past October.

Officers Stephen Heid and Ronald Cadez are accused of not stopping to help at the scene of a deadly car crash. Both officers have been charged with willful neglect of duty.

  • Court is expected to begin at 10:30 a.m. -- watch live here.

The officers first tried to stop the driver of a silver Pontiac Grand Prix traveling at a high speed around 10:18 p.m. on Oct. 9 at Maiden Street and Park Drive. The vehicle did not stop and the officers then began pursuing the driver, but never told dispatch, according to the Detroit Police Department.

The Grand Prix crashed into another car and then a tree a block and a half away from Heid and Cadez, who then left the scene and did not stop to help. The officers only went back to the scene after a 911 call was received, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. 

"This was a total disregard for our pursuit policies," Detroit police Chief James Craig said during a news conference. "This should not have happened."

The driver of the Grand Prix, Jerry Bradford Jr., 19, died at a local hospital shortly after the crash.

Both Heid and Cadez were suspended with pay for violating the Detroit Police Department's pursuit policy, but that could change pending what the judge rules Monday morning.


About the Authors:

Nick joined the Local 4 team in February of 2015. Prior to that he spent 6 years in Sacramento covering a long list of big stories including wildfires and earthquakes. Raised in Sterling Heights, he is no stranger to the deep history and pride Detroit has to offer.