Robert Allen

Detroit Free Press

A 54-year-old Lincoln Park man was high on crack cocaine when his Dodge van struck Detroit Police Officer Myron Jarrett on Friday night, killing the officer as he investigated a separate traffic crash, an assistant prosecutor said Monday at the arraignment.

Steven Guzina, 54, who Detroit police said fled on foot after hitting the officer and two other cars, was given no bond when he was arraigned before 36th District Court Magistrate Bari Blake Wood on five felony charges, including second-degree murder and driving while intoxicated.

Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Molly Kettler said prior to the fatal crash, Guzina stopped at multiple places in his van, purchasing and smoking crack. His 43-year-old female passenger reportedly told Guzina multiple times to slow down before he struck Jarrett, throwing him 30 feet through the air, then struck a police car and a civilian vehicle.

The 40-year-old police officer was on duty that evening, helping with an investigation at Puritan and Monica, when he was hit.

Guzina was arrested later at a bus stop at Grand River and Schaefer, according to a news release from the Prosecutor's Office.

Guzina, wrapped in a black blanket, appeared via video conference from the Wayne County Jail at his arraignment before Wood. The court entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf, and his preliminary examination was set for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 18.

Kettler said that Guzina's criminal history includes a previous conviction for operating while intoxicated. She asked that he not be given bond because of concerns that he could flee, and he has family members likely to have the financial means to bond him out.

Deputy Police Chief David LeValley said afterward that police are pleased that Guzina isn't able to bond out. He said Jarrett was a "great officer, great family man, great community member. It's very tragic that something like this occurred. And our department is working hard to try to recover as best we can at this point."

On Monday, police interviewed the Detroit woman believed to have been Guzina's passenger the night of the crash. She wasn't arrested, and LeValley said it doesn't appear she will face charges.

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The counts against Guzina include second-degree murder, operating while intoxicated causing death, operating while intoxicated causing serious injury, failure to stop at an accident resulting in death when at fault, and failure to stop at a scene resulting in serious impairment or death, according to court records.

Guzina's previous operating-while-intoxicated conviction was in Lincoln Park in 2002. He pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor and was sentenced to 12 months of probation, according to state records.

"The death of Officer Jarrett is yet another very tragic result of a person allegedly driving under the influence of intoxicants taking ‎a life. There have been public service announcements and activism about this for decades. There are probably people driving under the influence at this very moment. Who knows when this will stop?" Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in the news release.

Contact Robert Allen: rallen@freepress.com