$75M lawsuit filed by woman who says Warren cop sexually assaulted her against city, PD

FOX 2 - A new lawsuit was announced today, claiming that a woman seeking help from police, was then later preyed upon by the responding officer. 

Big picture view:

The $75 million lawsuit is being filed by the Michigan Injury Law Center on behalf of Macomb County resident Lisa Harrison.

Named in the lawsuit are the City of Warren, Warren Police Department, Chief Eric Hawkins, Officer Elmondo Smith and a human resources coordinator.

Domestic Violence Incident

Timeline:

In June 2025 Harrison called police to report an incident of domestic violence, seeking emergency law enforcement assistance, the suit says.

Officer Elmondo Smith responded, and later obtained Harrison's personal phone number, allegedly under the guise of working the investigation.

The lawsuit claims Smith began a pattern of sexual harassment contacting her repeatedly before an alleged sexual assault on July 9, 2025.

Sexual Assault Claim

The backstory:

Harrison's suit says that Smith was driving a marked cruiser and was in full uniform the night of the alleged assault.

Attorney Nora Hanna claims that Smith threatened Harrison after going to her house and telling her to meet him at the nearby warehouse.

 "(He) told Ms. Harrison that she must meet him at a warehouse that was close to the home," Hanna said. "And if she doesn't, she knows who he is and what he's capable of." 

Hanna said Harrison was forced to perform oral sex on Smith inside the police cruiser. In the moments afterward, Hanna said Harrison took steps to make sure there would be evidence of the incident. 

"When she runs out, she has the DNA of the defendant on her sweater, she runs in front of the police car, so there is video evidence of her in the footage," Hanna said. "And she reports the incident immediately."

Harrison reported the incident to the Macomb County Sheriff's Office, out of fear that Warren police may try to cover it up, Hanna said.

But after reviewing the evidence, the prosecutor's office is not seeking charges against Smith, who is no longer with Warren police.

"During the course of those investigations, the assaulting officer actually quit (the department) at that time during the investigation," Hanna said. "So when he quit, the investigation – from our understanding – ceased."

The lawsuit states that Smith previously worked for the Detroit Police Department and alleged he "was terminated or forced to leave" due to misconduct.

Crime and Public SafetyWarren