DPD officer pleads no contest in death of attorney Cliff Woodards
Detroit Police Officer Teaira Funderburg pleaded no contest on Monday in connection with the death of attorney Cliff Woodards.
On Feb. 8, 2021, Funderburg was on duty with another officer heading east on Interstate 96, in response to a request for backup. The police SUV's emergency lights and sirens were blaring.
When Funderburg exited the freeway onto the service drive, the prosecutor's office said the officer was speeding and went through a red light at West Chicago Road and the Jeffries Service Drive, striking Woodards’ vehicle. Woodards was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
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On June 21, 2022, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy charged Funderburg with one count of involuntary manslaughter, a felony with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, and one count of willful neglect of duty, a misdemeanor with a penalty of up to one year in jail.
On Monday, Funderburg pleaded no contest to willful neglect of duty. Count one, involuntary manslaughter, will be dismissed at sentencing, according to a Monday news release.
Funderburg agreed to resign her Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards certification, serve one year of probation, perform 100 hours of community service, and any additional terms, fines, and costs the court may impose.
Woodards' daughter, Melissa Woodards-Connelly, told WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) in April 2021 that the medical examiner’s report showed that her father died from severe trauma during the collision.
"After reviewing the report, the facts are clear," she said. "My father was sober when he was driving, and not at fault when he was driving. My father deserves justice and the question is when will it be served?"
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She will be sentenced at 11 a.m. on Sept. 30, 2022, before Judge Shannon Walker.
Free Press staff writer Frank Witsil contributed.
Contact Emma Stein: estein@freepress.com and follow her on Twitter @_emmastein.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: DPD officer pleads no contest in death of attorney Cliff Woodards
