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DETROIT (WJBK) - The two Detroit cops who were in hot pursuit of a man who later died in a car crash last October, avoided jail time Wednesday.
Stephen Heid and Ronald Cadez were sentenced to one year of probation after pleading no contest to willful neglect of duty.
"These two gentlemen don't deserve to be police officers," said Kenneth Reed, director of the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality.
Detroit Police Union President Mark Diaz says those officers, who initially were suspended after the crash, are back on the job.
"It was a horrible, tragic accident," said Diaz. "Our empathy goes out to the entire family to the entire community, especially to these two officers as well - who are living with that horrible mistake on their conscience."
Officers Heid and Cadez tried to stop 19-year-old Jerry Bradford for speeding. They chased him when he refused to pull over. Bradford crashed into a tree and was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
The officers were said to have left the immediate scene after the crash and failed to notify the dispatcher about the chase and accident that followed.
"I think they should be fired," said one neighbor of the Bradford family. "Because my heart goes out to the mother of that son."
FOX 2 spoke with neighbors after the crash.
"They need to pay for this," said another neighbor. "They don't need to just get away with this."
"Their job along with the duty of protecting and serving is to render aid to someone who needs help, regardless of what you think of this person," Reed said. "I've seen animals, dogs treated better than this young man who lost his life."
FOX 2: "People will make the argument, in any other situation someone who does that is likely going to end up in jail."
"Police officers are no different than anyone else - we are all susceptible to making mistakes and we like to quote the bible, 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone,'" Diaz said. "When it comes down to people making mistakes. Again these officers have entirely admitted to their wrongdoing.
"These are not bad police officers. They are two officers who unfortunately made a decision that they thought was right at the time, turned out to be the wrong decision."
Jerry Bradford's mother declined to comment on the officers' sentence.
DPD says although the officers were reinstated, that could change pending the outcome of an administration investigation. On top of a year probation they also have a $500 fine, court costs and five days of community service.