DETROIT (WXYZ) — "They weren't running from the police and we were not chasing them," said Detroit Police Chief James White about a fatal crash that some claimed was the result of a police chase late Saturday morning on the city's east side.
Relatives of 22-year-old Jalen McWilliams were adamant that police were involved in chasing the Dodge Durango where he was a passenger. And some people who saw officers arrive at the scene of the crash relatively quickly also thought it had to have been a chase.
But, on police dash cam video shared with 7 Action News, you can see how some of the events played out.
Video shows a unit traveling in one direction on Harper when a white Dodge Durango appears to be speeding as it traveled in the opposite direction.
By the time the two officers, in a single marked unit, make a U-turn, the SUV is turning onto a side street. Police also turn onto a side street and begin to look for the vehicle that was estimated to have been traveling at about 60 mph.
After officers are on the side street, they make another turn to go to the area where the SUV was headed. As they began to head east, there is smoke in the distance. The officers go about a dozen blocks to find the white Durango had hit a tree.
Citizens joined police in trying to help get the crash victims out of the vehicle that was smoking and later caught fire because the doors were locked.
Officers were able to break enough glass to get a young man who was in the back seat out.
At one point, a woman who lives nearby shows up on police video and she can be seen wielding an axe to help break the glass.
She told the officers to step aside as she swung the axe into the rear window, breaking it.
"She was a hero as well, putting her life in jeopardy to to save those folks," said Chief White. "And, unfortunately, one passenger did not make it, but three did."
"I'm not a hero. I was just raised that way," Brenda told 7 Action News. "If somebody's in trouble, whether you know them or not, you're supposed to help them."
