FLINT, MI -- It started with an attempted traffic stop for a seat belt violation.

Less than a minute later, an innocent bystander was dead and another grim chapter was begun in the ongoing debate over the police chase.

A review of a silent dashcam video and investigative reports stemming from the July 3 crash shows a dispute over whether or not a state trooper ever triggered his lights and siren when he chased a car through Flint, according to reports obtained by The Flint Journal through the Freedom of Information Act.

The trooper claims he did, witnesses claim he did not.

Jacqueline Nichols

One thing not in dispute? 64-year-old Jacqueline Nichols lost her life in the crash and did nothing more than make the mistake of taking a ride to the beauty salon.

An afternoon patrol

Michigan State Police Trooper Timothy Fagin sat in his patrol vehicle around 4:20 p.m. July 3 at James P. Cole Boulevard and Stewart Avenue on the city's north side.

In the car with Fagin, a Clio native who just graduated recruit school in 2013, was his father, Timothy, who was visiting from Ohio and and had come along with his son as a civilian ride-along.

Trooper Fagin was eying passing cars for possible violations when he spotted the driver of a dark-green Pontiac sedan attempting to put on his seatbelt while heading west on Stewart Avenue.

Fagin followed the vehicle, quickly catching up to the Pontiac in the left westbound lane near Stewart and Selby Street. Trooper Fagin claimed he activated his vehicle's emergency light, but the driver continued toward the North Street intersection.

"I then observed the driver look in his side mirror, as well as his rear view mirror at my patrol vehicle," Trooper Fagin wrote in his report. "I signaled to the driver with my left hand to pull over to the right."

A state police review of the dashcam video claims that the trooper's emergency lights can be seen reflecting off the trunk of the suspect's vehicle.

The driver of the Pontiac didn't stop.

Dashcam video from Fagin's cruiser shows the Pontiac make an abrupt right turn onto North Street -- cutting across another lane of westbound traffic.

The Pontiac spun its tires and accelerated rapidly as it swerved down North Street with Fagin in pursuit.

Trooper Fagin's father told investigators that his son activated the patrol car's siren and updated dispatchers on the pursuit location, according to investigative reports. Investigative records say the emergency siren can be heard in the recorded conversation with the dispatcher.

Witnesses walking along North Street from a nearby store told police that Trooper Fagin had his lights on and initially hit his siren but said the trooper turned the siren off as he continued the pursuit, according to investigation reports. The witnesses told police that Trooper Fagin eventually turned the siren back on.

Black Avenue flashed in the cars' rear-view mirrors as both the fleeing driver and the state police ignored a stop sign at the intersection. The Pontiac's suspension struggled to keep the sedan's back end from bottoming out as it blew through another stop sign at Wager Avenue with Fagin in close pursuit.

Intersections at Baltimore, Philadelphia and Marengo were all afterthoughts as both vehicles accelerated along North Street. Trooper Fagin would later report that speeds approached 60 mph -- nearly twice the posted speed limit on the one-way, two-lane city street.

The Pontiac advanced up a small hill leading from the intersection of Lomita Avenue to Pierson Road. Two stop signs and a flashing red overhead traffic light could be seen in the dashcam warning the drivers of the impending intersection with the major east-west road on the city's north side.

The Pontiac sped through the intersection unscathed.

Witness told police Fagin tapped his brakes and followed.

Precious Cochran was driving east on Pierson Road. Cochran, her daughter and her friend, Jacqueline Nichols, were headed home from a day at the beauty salon.

Cochran, who had lived in Flint for only three weeks at the time, told police that she saw the fleeing vehicle run the stop sign and cross Pierson Road.

"Did y'all see the car run the red light," Cochran asked her passengers.

Cochran told police she tried to slow down, but it was too late.

"Before I could stop or maneuver to avoid the vehicle, my patrol vehicle struck the other vehicle on the passenger's side," Fagin said in his report.

The trooper's Dodge Charger spun clockwise and struck a utility pole before coming to a rest off the road. Cochran's Chevrolet HHR hit the northeast curb, tipped onto its driver's side and crashed through a chain-link fence.

Database: See how many police chase crashes happen near you

Fagin's cruiser sat motionless with its overhead light still on, according to investigation records. A nearby witness told investigators that he also saw the overhead light, but he told troopers he never heard any siren prior to the crash, reports show.

The chase, as abruptly as it started, was over with two twisted slabs of blue and orange steel motionless in a grass-covered lot on the city's north side.

The aftermath

Blood poured from the elder Fagin's forehead. He was hurt, but alert and conscious.

"I noticed that my patrol vehicle had an extensive amount of interior damage and there was dust and debris scattered about the vehicle," Trooper Fagin reported after the crash. He made sure his dad was safe and then went to check on Cochran's vehicle.

Trooper Fagin said he found two women -- who turned out to be Cochran and her daughter, Robbie Head -- seatbelted inside the vehicle.

Head could not speak as blood seeped from her mouth. Cochran told the trooper she was ok. There was no sign of Nichols.

Fagin told Cochran to keep talking to her passenger and help was on the way. He went back to check on his father and retrieve his first aid kit.

"Hey, there's one down over here," a civilian yelled at Trooper Fagin while he was trying to retrieve his first aid kit.

Fagin ran back to Cochran's vehicle to discover Nichols lying on the ground outside of the car, her eyes were open and she wasn't breathing.

"... I immediately began to perform CPR on the female with the assistance of an unknown civilian who advised me that she was trained in CPR," Fagin said in his report. "I performed CPR on the female until a Genesee County Sheriff paramedic arrived on scene to relieve me."

Nichols was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

Finding a loan and a stolen car

Jasmin Dent and her fiancé, Curtis Lee, woke up July 3 looking for a change.

Lee, 28, was up early. He had to work a morning shift at a local fast food joint and meet up with Dent after his shift. Dent, 22, told police she believed she was pregnant and that the two were looking for a home loan to start a new life for their family.

The couple told police that they visited multiple credit unions and a check cashing store that morning. Police were able to recover video evidence to verify at least one of their stops. But, after that, police claim the couple's story and their version of reality begin to diverge.

According to investigation reports, Lee told police he dropped Dent off at his Meade Street apartment and drove her car to another bank.

Lee told police he drove around and "hollered at some girls" after he stopped at the bank. But, when he arrived back at home, he allegedly told police that Dent was upset because she thought he was away too long and was likely cheating on her.

"After he had came back from the bank -- me and him had got into an argument," Dent told police. "I left and that's when Man-Man had called me."

Dent told police she left the house and received a call from someone she knew as Man-Man -- a man from Chicago who she had previously met at a Flint liquor store and whose real name she didn't know.

"What's up? What ya doing," Man-Man asked. "... I'm at the bus terminal ..."

Dent told police she went to the downtown bus terminal and picked up Man-Man. The two went to a liquor store. And, while Dent was inside, she claimed Man-Man made off in her car.

"I'm looking down the street," Dent allegedly told police. "I'm thinking that it's like a joke or a game or something -- like ok. I went back into the store, came back out and scratched my head a couple of times, looked around again. I said, 'Oh, that (expletive) took my car.'"

The couple told police that Lee went out to look for the missing car, but was unable to find it. The two later reported the car stolen to police.

The search for Man-Man and the truth

At 5:38 a.m. July 4, Flint police found Dent's car parked in front of a vacant home on Arlington Avenue on the city's east side.

Initially, police didn't think Dent's 2005 blue-green Pontiac Grand Prix was different than any of the other hundreds of stolen cars reported in Flint each year.

But, within two weeks of continued investigation after the crash, the State Police discovered that Dent's vehicle matched the description of the car authorities were chasing when Nichols was killed.

Police visited Dent's home July 16 and found her vehicle outside on the street.

After the crash, witnesses told police that a vehicle matching the one Trooper Fagin was chasing crashed into a guy wire a block away from the fatal collision -- information police didn't immediately release to the public.

Dent's vehicle had front-end damage that was consistent with hitting a guy wire, according to police reports.

Lee and Dent told police the story about Man-Man and the missing car, but investigators knew something was off. Dent was taken to the Flint Police Department for an interview.

What the couple didn't know was the witness didn't just tell police about the suspect vehicle's crash. The witness also told police that they saw a man run away from the crash and a female passenger drive the car away, according to investigation documents.

"What I'm thinking is that you're the passenger in the car and Man-Man is not going to stop and that you know everything that happened because you were right there in that passenger seat and when he gets out of the car and bails, that you just go ahead and get your car and leave it -- that's what I'm thinking," investigation documents show Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Mark Pendergraff told Dent during the interview.

Despite Pendergraff's suspicions, Dent denied that she and Lee were involved in the chase.

Police followed up on the Man-Man angle, but evidence -- especially cell phone records and witness statements -- began to point more and more to Dent and Lee as being the two people in the car during the chase, according to investigation documents.

Dent and Lee were interviewed again July 30. And, again, both of them stuck to the same story. But, this time, police thought they have enough evidence to make a case against Lee and placed him under arrest. Investigators continued to push Dent for information.

Eventually, Dent yielded and signed a statement telling police Lee was the driver. She wrote a letter and asked police to read it to Lee.

"I'm so sorry baby," Dent wrote. "I love you and always will it took so much out of me to write you this because I know everything is messed up ...

"... Baby Im soo so so sorry Just know it wasn't all my fault and just talk to god ask him what is the right thing to do for your sake and I love you so much."

Police never read the letter to Lee, according to investigative documents.

Jasmin's version

The day started just as Curtis Lee and Jasmin Dent originally told police.

Jasmin Dent and her fiancé, Curtis Lee, woke up July 3 looking for a change.

Lee was up early. He had to work a morning shift at a local fast food joint and meet up with Dent after his shift. Dent told police she believed she was pregnant and that the two were looking for a home loan to start a new life for their family.

The couple told police they visited multiple credit unions and a check cashing store.

"We were trying to take care of business, trying to get a home loan so we could move," Dent said during and Oct. 14 preliminary exam.

Lee was driving Dent's blue-green Pontiac Grand Prix on the city's north side. Dent testified that he had been driving all day.

The two had just opened a beer when they drove past a stopped Trooper Fagin at Stewart Avenue and James P. Cole Boulevard.

Trooper Fagin, who told investigators he believed the driver of the vehicle was not wearing his seatbelt, pulled out onto Stewart and sped up to catch Dent and Lee. He was directly behind them when Lee allegedly stopped at a red light at Stewart and North Street.

Dent said the trooper turned his emergency light on -- no siren -- and Lee turned onto North Street.

"I'm sorry," Dent claims Lee said to her.

The chase was on.

Dent testified that Lee was in the car until they crashed at North and Ridgeway.

"He jumped out of the car and ran," Dent testified. "He came back and said 'I'm sorry' and took off running."

Dent said she tossed the half-empty beer and put marijuana that was in her car into the glove box and drove home.

Lee ran to a nearby home where he was able to get a ride to his cousin's home near Pierson and Dupont, according to investigation documents. From his cousin's house, he was able to get a ride back home from a friend, reports show.

The ride home allegedly took Lee directly past the crash scene where Nichols lost her life. Lee allegedly asked a bystander what happened and was told that someone may have died, according to investigation reports.

Lee and Dent then allegedly dropped the car at the Arlington Avenue home and reported it stolen.

Dent testified that she didn't initially know why Lee ran, but she said that he later told her he had a gun in the car.

"I didn't want to get in trouble and I didn't want him to get in trouble," Dent testified.

The court cases

Lee was arrested and charged with fleeing and eluding, being a felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon and felony firearm. He has been bound over to Genesee Circuit Court to face a possible trial on the charges. He faces more than 15 years in prison if convicted.

Attorney Lynne Taft, who is representing Lee, declined to comment on the case.

Dent was charged with tampering with evidence, accessory after the fact, false report of a felony and lying to a peace officer. She is facing trial in circuit court, but testified against Lee in hope of making a plea agreement with prosecutors.

"We are waiting to see what direction the trial of Curtis Lee heads in," said Dent's attorney, Amy Harris. "We are very pleased Ms. Dent's involvement in this is recognized for what it was. We hope justice is obtained for everyone involved."

Nichols' estate and Cochran have each filed lawsuits against the State Police and Fagin. The lawsuits are pending.

Attorney Christian Collis, from Southfield-based Fieger Law, is representing the family. He said the dashcam video reinforces the accusations in the lawsuit that Trooper Fagin was acting outside of State Police chase policy.

Collis added that witnesses he talked to about the crash claim that sirens were not used at the time of the crash.

Trooper Fagin declined to testify during Lee's preliminary exam, invoking his Fifth Amendment rights. Michigan State Police spokesman Lt. Brian Cole declined to comment on his agency's internal investigation into whether Fagin followed the agency's chase protocol.