BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Hundreds of people rioted for a second straight night Tuesday following the death of a biker who was being chased by police, setting houses and cars ablaze as authorities declared a state of emergency.
The chase started in Berrien County's Royalton Township, where a sheriff's deputy spotted two high-performance motorcycles traveling north toward Benton Harbor at speeds surpassing 100 mph.
The deputy briefly pursued the pair but stopped because of the motorcycles' high speed. A short time later, Benton Township Patrolman Wes Koza witnessed one of the motorcyclists speeding and running stop signs, police said.
Koza pursued the motorcycle into Benton Harbor, where it drove through yards, came back onto the street and ran more stop signs, officials said. The officer was several blocks back when Shurn's motorcycle hit the building.
Shurn's speed in the residential neighborhood approached 70 mph at times. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said they did not know why Shurn was fleeing from the officers, although his operator's license had been suspended and officers found a small amount of marijuana on him, state police Lt. Joseph Zangaro said.
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When you're riding your motorcycle 100 mph on the highway and 70 mph in a residential area, you are going to get stopped by the police no matter what race you are. This guy broke several laws and endangered the lives of others, his death is nothing compared to what kind of traffic accidents could have happened as a result of his lawlessness. Just because you're a negro doesn't mean the police can't stop you if you're breaking the law! Take a group of people with a limited sense of responsibility, and create an environment in society where they are not held accountable for any of their own choices and this is what happens.
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