A lawsuit headed to court Monday claims the Michigan State Police are two to three more times more likely to conduct high-speed chases in black neighborhoods than in comparable white neighborhoods.
Plaintiffs are seeking damages in Genesee County Circuit Court after two police chases in Flint, one in 2014 and one in 2016, resulted in death and serious injury.
In March of 2016, Mary Saunders and her family were hit by a car being chased by the Michigan State Police. Saunders’ daughter, Malaysia Stover, now requires around the clock care.
Saunders says her daughter, now 9, will be impacted by the accident for the rest of her life.
“Malaysia had a traumatic brain injury. She had a brain bleed. She had a feeding tube, she still has that today.”
Michael Pitt is an attorney for Saunders. He said the state is seeking to dismiss the case on the basis that it was not police vehicles that directly caused harm in both cases, and the state has immunity.
“Our answer to that motion is that this case is not subject to the immunity defense because it is a civil rights violation.”
Pitt said if the judge determines the case can be classified as an issue of civil rights then it can move forward.
The state also points out that the MSP changed its policy in 2017 so that high-speed chases can only be conducted if police have reasonable suspicion a felony has been committed.
Pitt said that policy still isn’t stringent enough. He would like to see a policy in which the police can only initiate a chase if a driver poses an imminent risk.
An MSP spokesperson said they cannot comment on pending litigation.