Overview
- Tracey Allen sued the City of Detroit and Officer Zachary Melvin in federal court, seeking $25 million over an October 2025 traffic-stop shooting.
- Allen alleges she was pepper-sprayed, boxed in by patrol cars, and shot six times as she tried to drive away while on a 911 call after requesting a supervisor.
- Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said body-camera footage contradicted initial on-scene accounts and that multiple department policies were violated.
- The officer remains suspended without pay as the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office reviews findings from the Michigan State Police Homicide Task Force.
- Detroit police declined to comment on the pending litigation, and the officer’s attorney urged that the incident be judged on what was known at the time.