Christina Hall

Detroit Free Press

Two Warren police officers — one on his last day of work — were among four people hurt in two traffic crashes during a chase of two men suspected of robbing or trying to rob credit unions today in Warren and Sterling Heights, police said.

All those hurt are believed to have suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the incident that began before 1 p.m.

Warren Police Commissioner Jere Green said two men tried to rob the Extra Credit Union on Chicago Road in Warren and a credit union near the Ukrainian Cultural Center on Ryan in Warren. He said the same two men then robbed the Vibe Credit Union on Van Dyke in Sterling Heights.

In the Sterling Heights heist, a male robbed the credit union of an undisclosed amount of money, ran from the business and got into an orange Chevrolet HHR, Sterling Heights Police Capt. Dale Dwojakowski said.

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He said Sterling Heights police put out a be-on-the-lookout for the car, which Warren police spotted within five to 10 minutes of the robbery and tried to stop. The car didn't stop, leading to a police pursuit in Warren, he said.

Green said Warren officers intercepted the car around Martin and Van Dyke in Warren and tried to stop it. The car continued through an industrial subdivision, dumping out on the I-696 service drive just west of Van Dyke going westbound, he said.

Green said the chase involved "moderate speeds" of 50 to 60 m.p.h.

Right before Dequindre, a Warren police SUV with two officers flipped and rolled over, Green said. He did not believe the suspects' car hit the SUV, but that crash remains under investigation. He said the SUV was upside down at I-696 and "almost went over." Green said the officers were taken to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak.

He said the HHR continued fleeing, running a red light on the service drive at Dequindre and hitting a pickup. The pickup driver and one of the two men in the HHR were injured.

Green said one suspect is in custody, the other went to a hospital for treatment. He said a large amount of cash was recovered.

Police officials said no charges have been filed in Warren or Sterling Heights, and the incidents in both cities remain under investigation.

Warren Mayor Jim Fouts said that the officers' SUV was "precariously" hanging over I-696, but he believed "everybody is gonna be fine."

Contact Christina Hall: chall99@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter.