A teen is suing the Warren police department for $20 Million after dash-cam video captures officer’s brutally beating him.
The incident occurred on June 6th when officers pulled 17-year-old Tyler Wade from a vehicle they say was stolen. He was pulled out over the front passenger’s seat.
The video shows the teen with his hands up after being pulled over. Video also shows Tyler Wade being punched in the face and head multiple times. He was also stomped on and kicked.
The teen said he had a concussion and blurred vision in his eye from the beating.
The teen is now suing the Warren Police Department for $20 million for physical and emotional pain and suffering.
Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer said that the department’s use-of-force policy was violated and that an officer was suspended.
Wade ultimately pleaded no contest to receiving and concealing a stolen vehicle and eluding police.
Warren police released the following statement:
“Although the City has not been served with this lawsuit yet, it is necessary
to enlighten the public about Tyler Wade and the stolen vehicle he was in,
his run from police, and concealed firearm charge–all of which you did not
hear about from the Cochran Law Firm. The reality is that this young man
put the involved officers and the public in serious danger just after 9:00
a.m. on June 2, 2022 and until he was apprehended. Wade was occupying
a freshly stolen Hyundai, just reported by Detroit Police, in the area of Nine
Mile and Mound Road in the City of Warren. This young man certainly
knew why officers activated lights and sirens to effect a traffic stop on the
Hyundai, but instead of stopping, Tyler Wade fled. This young man took
officers on a pursuit that ended all the way in Ferndale. Wade traveled at
dangerous speeds trying to lose officers and, importantly, his vehicle never
became “idle” like you heard yesterday. In fact, Tyler Wade was only
apprehended because he crashed that stolen Hyundai into a road sign in a
residential neighborhood.
Recovered from the stolen vehicle was gun ammunition and significant
evidence that Wade was selling marijuana illegally. Even more disturbing,
Hazel Park Police located a handgun in the roadway near Nine Mile and
John R that Wade apparently discarded during his high-speed flight from
police. Video recovered from a nearby business shows the moment that
Wade threw that size object out of the driver’s side window. Independent
investigation by the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office led them to charge
Wade with:
Fleeing and eluding 3rd degree (which is a 5-year felony)
Carrying a concealed weapon (which is a 5-year felony)
Delivery/manufacture of marijuana (which is a 4-year felony)
“These were the extreme dangers Warren officers encountered once the
stolen Hyundai crashed: a driver who clearly had no intention of being
apprehended by police if he could avoid it in a stolen car that was still
running and could be used to further flee or run officers over in a split
second. For that reason, use of reasonable force was certainly warranted
in extracting Wade from the passenger side of the stolen vehicle. Force
was also proper in taking Wade to the ground and using muscling
techniques to acquire his arms, which the bodycam footage you already
saw confirms he had tensed and balled up so he could not be handcuffed.
Distraction techniques to major muscle masses were used instead of a
taser, pepper spray, or deadly force. This was deemed appropriate in a
proactive investigation undertaken by the Warren Police Department’s
Internal Affairs Division. That investigation did reveal that multiple strikes
by one officer at that scene to Wade’s head-an area of the body
specifically and separately addressed by our internal policies–violated the
Department’s use of force policy.
That officer was issued a severe
discipline that included a lengthy unpaid suspension. This officer has an
otherwise impeccable record of service at multiple local police agencies
He also took steps to ensure Wade was taken to the hospital promptly to
ensure he sustained only minor injury while being apprehended.
Wade
was discharged from the hospital within a couple of hours after the non-
critical, non-permanent nature of his injuries was confirmed.
Commissioner Dwyer wants the public to know that “while out of policy use
of force incidents at the Warren Police Department are rare, officers who
do violate policy are and will continue to be disciplined swiftly and severely.
Officers are required to safeguard the rights of the public, even of a
dangerous individual engaged in felony criminal activity like Mr. Wade.
In
line with this standard, it was appropriate that Mr. Wade was taken to an
area hospital for evaluation after the incident and equally appropriate that
this matter was proactively reviewed by Internal Affairs.
The prompt,
thorough investigation and severe discipline for the one officer acting out of
policy speaks to the Warren Police Department’s commitment to self-
reviewing use of force incidents and ensuring that our officers are held to
the highest standards.”
