No lights. No sirens. 115 mph. A Warren officer's deadly crash heads to trial

Jury selection has begun in the trial of former Warren police officer James Burke, who faces charges of manslaughter and willful neglect of duty after a 2024 crash that killed Cedric Hayden Jr. and DeJuan Pettis. Dashcam footage shows Burke driving over 115 miles per hour without lights or sirens and not engaged in a chase when he collided with their vehicle. The prosecution argues Burke’s actions caused the fatal crash, while the defense is expected to scrutinize the victims’ actions. Legal experts note the importance of how the absence of emergency signals will be portrayed and the challenge of finding jurors willing to critically assess a police officer’s conduct.