Tracey Allen Shot 6 Times By Detroit Police Files Lawsuit
On October 26, 2025, a Detroit woman named Tracey Allen was shot six times by a police officer while fleeing the scene of a traffic stop, and after driving to a police station while on the phone with 911. Fox2 DetroitAllen was unarmed and presented no threat of violence; she simply fled the scene. That's no reason to end up with six gunshot wounds.
Let the Detroit Police Department tell it, Allen had an obstructed license plate, illegally tinted windows, and was speeding when she was pulled over by Officer Zachary Melvin. When asking for a supervisor, she was denied. It was at this point that Allen called 911 and asked for help, saying she feared for her life. Unfortunately, she was right in her concern.
Within moments of the scene, Melvin tried to pull her out of her car and pepper sprayed her. As she fled the traffic stop, Allen was chased for about a mile before she was boxed in and attempted to flee once more. It was then that Officer Melvin allegedly opened fire, striking her multiple times.
It should come as no surprise that the unnamed officer did not describe the events as they actually happened. Within days of the shooting and after a review of the body camera video, Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison immediately suspended Melvin without pay and made public that the officer's account was inconsistent with the video evidence.
Bettison says multiple department violations had occurred starting from the moment Allen requested a supervisor. He also clarified that it is against departmental policy to prosecute a citizen for a traffic violation. As dangerous as chases can be for all parties involved, including the public, there is no reason other than ego and personal desire to cause harm to chase someone over hard and tinted windows.
Attorney Maurice Davis is representing Ms. Allen and has filed a $25 million federal lawsuit against both the city of Detroit and Officer Melvin, who remains suspended without pay.
