Trial Ordered For Man Charged In Deaths Of 2 Kids During Police Chase
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - A 29-year-old man has been ordered to stand trial in the deaths of two Detroit children during a high-speed chase with police.
A preliminary examination was held Monday for 29-year-old Lorenzo Harris, who is charged with second-degree murder, fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and weapons charges in the June 34 tragedy.
A 6-year-old boy and his 3-year-old sister died after they were hit by a speeding Chevrolet Camaro while playing outside their Detroit home.
At a stoplight, police said, two officers spotted the red Camaro with two men inside — one of them brandished a handgun. Officers activated their siren and attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the suspects took off and a chase ensued — reaching speeds of up to 95 per hour on residential streets.
The Camaro was reportedly driving at such a high rate of speed, officers lost sight of it at one point. Police say the officers were calling off the chase when they saw smoke ahead. The fleeing vehicle had crashed into the front porch of a home at Frankfurt and Nottingham near Warren Ave., where several kids were playing outside.
Three other children — ages 3, 5 and 7 — and a 23-year-old woman were also injured.
While some in the community have voiced concerns about a police chase on neighborhood streets, Chief James Craig has said the department is investigating whether proper chase protocols were followed.
Police said Harris' criminal past stretches back a decade and includes resisting police, assault, weapons and stolen property offenses.
His next court appearance was scheduled for Monday, July 20.
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