DETROIT – A Detroit man says he spent over three days in jail after a police officer allegedly used her position to file false reports accusing him of aggravated stalking following the end of their two-month relationship.
The federal lawsuit was filed April 2 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against Officer Shamar Woods-Carey and the city of Detroit, alleging Woods-Carey falsified police reports and personal protection order paperwork that led to his arrest and prosecution.
The plaintiff, who spoke anonymously in a Local 4 interview, said he learned about the case during a traffic stop in 2024.
“I was pulled over for speeding, and the officer came back to the car pretty quick, within three, four minutes, he’s like, ' You got a warrant for your arrest,” the man said.
According to the complaint, he was charged in Wayne County with aggravated stalking, habitual fourth offender, based on the allegations he claims Woods-Carey falsified, including that he had come to her home unannounced.
A preliminary examination was held Aug. 7, 2024, in 36th District Court in Detroit before Judge Kenneth K. King.
The lawsuit says the case was dismissed without prejudice after his defense attorney argued that the complaining witness and the reporting officer listed in at least five reports appeared to be the same person.
The man said he had no contact with Woods-Carey at the time of his arrest and that the relationship had ended over a year prior.
Although the lawsuit alleges she had obtained personal protection orders against him, he says they were never served.
“I was just taken back and shocked that a lot of police reports was made against me,” he said.
The complaint alleges Woods-Carey filed multiple reports while referring to the complainant in the third person and never disclosed that she and the complainant were the same person.
The lawsuit also alleges she used both her maiden name and married name as aliases in reports.
“There were about five or maybe six reports that were generated by her where she was using her maiden name and her married name as aliases,” said Cameron Bell, an attorney with Oliver Bell Group representing the man.
Local 4 reached Woods-Carey over the phone, who maintained that the stalking allegations were true.
“He was stalking me,” she said. “He was my stalker.”
Woods-Carey acknowledged that she was both the complainant and responding officer in the reports, claiming that it didn’t violate department policy.
Court records cited in the lawsuit show Woods-Carey was charged in March 2025 with a misdemeanor count of unauthorized disclosure of information from the Law Enforcement Information Network, or LEIN.
The complaint says she pleaded guilty on May 12, 2025, and was sentenced to six months of probation.
A spokesperson for the Detroit Police Department said the department could not comment on the case since the city is a defendant, but confirmed that Woods-Carey is still employed as a sergeant.
The lawsuit alleges constitutional violations under federal civil rights law, including Fourth Amendment malicious prosecution and unreasonable seizure.
The complaint also asserts equal protection claims and alleges failures by the city and police department to train and supervise employees.
The suit seeks more than $5 million in compensatory damages, along with punitive damages, attorney fees, and an injunction requiring the city to implement new policies.
The plaintiff said the experience has had lasting effects.
“Pretty scary where you lose sleep, I have to seek counseling just to live,” he said. “As long as I stay in the city of Detroit, I will be afraid.”