WARREN, Mich. (WXYZ) — In response to a lawsuit filed against members of the Warren Police Department by Tyler Wade and the Cochran Law Firm regarding alleged excessive use of force, Macomb County Commissioner William Dwyer provided 7 Action News with 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," Dwyer said in a Thursday press release.
Dwyer said, inside the stolen vehicle police found ammunition and evidence suggesting Wade was illegally selling marijuana. A handgun was also found near 9 Mile and John R. that Dwyer believes Wade tossed while fleeing from police. Video footage obtained from a business near the scene, Dwyer said, shows Wade throwing an object out of the driver’s side window.
Wade was charged after an independent investigation conducted by the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office with the following charges:
- Fleeing and eluding 3rd degree (5-year felony)
- Carrying a concealed weapon (5-year felony)
- Delivery/manufacture of marijuana (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 bailed 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," Dwyer said.
“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."
