‘I thought I was going to die’: Mom files $25M lawsuit after being shot 6 times by Detroit officer

A Detroit mother of five has filed a $25 million federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Detroit and Police Officer Zachary Melvin after being shot six times during what began as a routine traffic stop. Tracey Allen survived the October 2025 incident but sustained multiple gunshot wounds to both arms and her leg. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleges excessive and unconstitutional use of deadly force. “I truly believed I was going to be killed,” Allen said. “I kept telling them I was scared, I kept asking for help, and instead I was shot over and over again. No one should ever experience that.”