Ex-warren cop found not guilty of manslaughter after 2024 crash killed 2 men

An ex-Warren police officer has been found not guilty of manslaughter and two misdemeanor counts in a 2024 crash that killed two men.Watch Tiarra Braddock's video report: Prosecutors say James Burke was on duty in 2024, when his patrol car hit an SUV at roughly 115 miles per hour. The crash killed life-long friends Cedric Hayden Jr. and Dejuan Pettis.A jury deliberated Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning before reaching a verdict around 11 a.m.Watch the verdict belowWe spoke with Cedric Hayden Sr., the father of the one of the victims, right outside the courtroom. Cedric and the rest of the Hayden family were not happy with the verdict."They didn't show one time, my son or Dejuan Pettis, standing by their kids, but they showed him in his uniform," Hayden said, referring to Burke. "They didn't want us to be seen, they didn't want us to be heard, it was a small courtroom to they put us in from the beginning, it was a small courtroom because they didn't want the publicity to show the officer did wrong."All we wanted was for justice on both sides," he continued. "We know that man didn't wake up that morning and say 'hey, I'm finna go kill two people', but you did. You should be held accountable for it."Web Extra: Family of victims and their attorney speak after ex-Warren cop acquitted in manslaughter trialWatch Tiarra Braddock's report from the Noon show and Ryan Marshall's report from the 6 a.m. show belowEach side posed a compelling case. The prosecution argued that Officer Burke's actions were reckless and not an accident, while the defense argued that one of the victims, Hayden, shouldn't have been on the road driving.The prosecution rested their earlier this week and began closing arguments yesterday. They maintain that Burke drove recklessly without an emergency situation and without lights and sirens.“To Cedric Hayden Jr, it's just another car on the road, right? On a road that the speed limit is only 40 MPH. He's not expecting a car to come roaring down the road at 115 miles an hour. He would if he had some lights on," argued Cory Newman, the Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Macomb County.The defense rested their case just yesterday after former Officer Burke declined to testify. Burke's defense attorney maintains that his client was not reckless in actively pursuing a stolen vehicle, per department guidelines. The defense also maintained through expert witness testimony that Hayden was drunk at the time of the crash and subsequently at fault.“Who Is breaking the law on the road at 5 am? I'd argue to you it's the person that's driving a vehicle suspended, 0.198 blood alcohol level, making an illegal improper turn with no blinker in front of an officer that's attempting to do his job," said defense attorney Marc Curtis.Judge Jennifer Faunce gave the jury final instructions before deliberating behind closed doors. Those deliberations continue later this morning, and we could have a verdict as soon as today.Watch our previous coverage of this trial