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One of two Detroit men pleads guilty to role in deadly Warren gun battle
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Dale Hatch, left, goes over a plea agreement with his attorney, John Juhasz. He pleaded guilty Thursday to attempted aggravated murder, felonious assault and involuntary manslaughter and will be sentenced in April.
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Dale Hatch, 27, one of two Detroit men charged with killing Marco Dukes, 32, of Warren during a gunbattle near downtown Warren on Nov. 11, 2012, has pleaded guilty to reduced charges.
He entered the plea Thursday before Judge W. Wyatt McKay of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court, who will sentence him in April, after the trial of Hatch’s co-defendant, Derrick Peete, 23, is complete.
Hatch won’t face a life prison sentence because prosecutors amended his aggravated murder charge to involuntary manslaughter. His plea agreement calls for him to get 10 years in prison in exchange for testifying truthfully at Peete’s trial, scheduled for March 24.
Hatch did plead guilty to attempted aggravated murder and felonious assault involving Dukes’ cousin, Larry Smith, 29, who was hit by gunfire during the shootout but survived.
But Chris Becker, an assistant Trumbull County prosecutor, said in court Thursday that prosecutors “can or cannot prove” that the shot from Hatch’s gun caused Larry Smith’s injuries.
The shots that killed Dukes came from a gun fired by Peete, but “as a result of” Hatch’s actions, Dukes was killed, and Larry Smith was shot, Becker said.
Hatch fired only one shot before his gun jammed, and he then fled through the parking lot of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church on High Street, Becker said.
Hatch was arrested by Warren police about half a block away on Vine Street Northeast. Court documents say Sgt. Emanuel Nites spotted Hatch while responding to a report of shots fired. Members of the church started pointing at Hatch, and Nites noticed that Hatch’s clothing matched descriptions of a suspect.
Nites observed Hatch reach into his pocket and pull out a handgun as he fled between houses at the Cross Radio building on Vine Street, court documents say. A bystander also followed Hatch to help police.
Officers arrested Hatch a short time later, and Nites found the firearm under the porch of a house beside Cross Radio. Peete was arrested two days later at a house on Kenilworth Avenue Southeast.
Dukes was killed and Smith injured in what authorities say was a drug-related gunbattle behind an apartment building on Elm Road near several popular restaurants and the Greek Orthodox church, which was having Sunday services at the time.
At last 40 shots were fired by several people using “big guns,” police said. The episode prompted several community events in an attempt to curb violence in the city.
If Peete is convicted, he could get a life prison sentence.
In addition to being convicted of involuntary manslaughter, attempted aggravated murder and felonious assault, Hatch also pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property and tampering with evidence.
Darlene Dukes, mother of Marco Dukes, attended the hearing with her daughter but said she had no comment.
Hatch’s plea followed a ruling by Judge McKay on Feb. 19 that none of the evidence police collected should be suppressed at trial, such as statements Hatch made to detectives and DNA test results.