DETROIT – Damon Grimes died at a hospital Saturday after he crashed an ATV into a pickup truck at Rossini Drive and Gratiot Avenue in Detroit.
Michigan State Police said troopers had tried to stop Grimes, 15, for “reckless driving,” but the teen fled on the ATV. Troopers pursued and one of them used a Taser on Grimes, striking him before the crash. That trooper has been suspended for violating police protocol.
Witnesses said the trooper pulled close to the ATV and fired his Taser during the chase, and they believe it might have caused Grimes to crash. Witnesses said the teen was trying to get onto the sidewalk when he hit the pickup truck.
“He was riding, and he went tense, like this,” a witness told Local 4. “That was it. As soon as he did that, he lost control and flipped over.”
ATV four-wheelers aren’t legally supposed to be driven on Detroit city streets, but neighbors said that law isn’t usually enforced.
State police released this statement on the chase:
“The troopers activated their emergency lights and siren, but the ATV driver refused to stop. The troopers pursued the ATV east on Rossini, and as the ATV approached Gratiot Avenue, the driver attempted to drive off the roadway onto the sidewalk, but crashed into the rear of a pickup truck.”
The Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office said Grimes died from blunt head trauma.
Justice for Dae Dae:
“It shouldn’t have to be like this,” said Monique Grimes, Damon’s mother. “He was only 15. He enjoyed riding his bike. It wasn’t like he committed any crimes. I just want justice for Dae Dae.”
Hundreds of people showed up to a vigil Wednesday night, furious over the 15-year-old’s death. Friends and family members were among those who gathered for the vigil, some of them around Damon’s age.
The family wanted a remembrance of Damon, but it quickly got out of hand, as a small group of young men were trying to incite a problem, Local 4’s Mara MacDonald reported. They began chanting, “F— the police” as stoic officers tried to diffuse the situation.
Damon’s family members told them to stop, but it was a tense half hour until the crowd finally moved on. Police at one point had to close down Gratiot Avenue.
Detroit police launch independent investigation:
Detroit police Chief James Craig said his department will launch an independent investigation during a news conference Monday.
“I am not a proponent of high-speed chases involving traffic infractions, or those involving misdemeanors,” Craig said.
Craig said the investigation in no way negatively reflects on MSP, but that a situation such as this warrants an independent investigation.
Source: https://www.clickondetroit.com