The former officer resigned during an internal review, and prosecutors declined to authorize criminal charges after a sheriff’s investigation.
WARREN, MI — A lawsuit has been filed against the Warren Police Department after a woman alleged that an officer sexually assaulted her while he was on duty, according to attorneys representing the woman and a local news report. The officer later resigned from the department and has not been criminally charged.
The allegations stem from an encounter last summer after Warren police responded to a domestic situation involving the woman. Her attorneys say the officer later obtained her cellphone number, met with her outside his official duties and continued communicating with her in the following weeks. The lawsuit raises questions about the officer’s alleged conduct while exercising police authority and the department’s response after the allegation was reported.
Attorney Nora Hanna, who represents the woman, told FOX 2 Detroit that the officer eventually arrived at the woman’s home while wearing his police uniform and carrying his duty equipment. Hanna alleges that the officer then took the woman to a warehouse while he was on duty and sexually assaulted her. The allegation has not resulted in criminal charges, and the claims made in the civil case have not been established as fact in court.
According to Hanna, the woman went to Michigan State Police after the alleged encounter. The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office later investigated the allegation and sent information from its investigation to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office. Prosecutors reviewed the case but declined to authorize criminal charges against the officer.
The prosecutor’s office has not publicly detailed why it declined charges. In a statement reported by FOX 2, the office said it had conducted a thorough review of the facts and allegations but would not comment further out of respect for the complainant’s privacy. A decision not to bring criminal charges does not resolve the separate allegations raised through a civil lawsuit, where different legal standards and procedures apply.
The Warren Police Department said the officer was placed on leave after officials learned of the allegations. According to the department’s statement reported by FOX 2, an internal review was opened, but the officer resigned while that process was underway. The department’s public website says its work is guided by community policing, officer training and wellness, and evidence-based policing, and lists integrity, equality and justice as part of its mission.
The case comes as the department has faced scrutiny over other officer-misconduct cases in recent years. In a 2024 statement concerning a separate misconduct case, Warren Mayor Lori Stone said the city expected officers to meet high standards of conduct and said allegations of serious misconduct should be investigated appropriately. That earlier matter was unrelated to the allegations in the newly reported lawsuit.
Key details about the new civil case remain unclear in the publicly available reporting, including the amount of damages being sought and the full set of legal claims. The former officer has not been identified in the material reviewed for this report, and no response from the former officer to the lawsuit was available. The woman’s identity is also being withheld because the case involves an allegation of sexual assault.
The civil lawsuit can proceed independently of the prosecutor’s decision not to authorize criminal charges. The allegations remain unproven, and further details could emerge through court filings and responses from the parties as the case moves forward.
Author note: Last updated September 26, 2026.