Shamieh Law Files Federal Lawsuit After Shreveport Police Cruiser Strikes and Kills 75-Year-Old Woman; No Emergency Lights Activated

SHREVEPORT, La., July 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Shamieh Law has filed a federal civil rights and wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Dawn and Nyota Lair, the surviving daughters of Evelyn Alexander, a 75-year-old Shreveport woman who was struck and killed by a Shreveport Police Department patrol vehicle on February 3, 2026. The patrol unit was operating without activated emergency lights at the time of the collision. The suit, filed June 15, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana (Case No. 5:26-cv-02035), names the City of Shreveport and Officer John Doe as defendants.

According to the complaint, Alexander was crossing Greenwood Road when a marked SPD patrol vehicle struck her while responding to a reported call involving an allegedly armed individual. The SPD acknowledged in public statements that the patrol unit involved in the collision was operating without its emergency lights activated. The complaint alleges that Alexander suffered severe traumatic injuries and died despite emergency medical treatment.

The lawsuit alleges Officer John Doe failed to maintain proper lookout, failed to safely operate the patrol vehicle, and failed to activate emergency warning equipment as required by law. The complaint further alleges the City of Shreveport maintained customs, policies, and failures in training and supervision that contributed to Alexander's death.

"Evelyn Alexander was struck and killed on a public street at 7:00 in the evening by a police cruiser that wasn't running its lights, and the Shreveport Police Department has already confirmed that publicly. That acknowledgment is the beginning of accountability, not the end of it. Her daughters have been waiting for answers since February, and this lawsuit is how we get them," said Ramez Shamieh, Founder of Shamieh Law.

The complaint demands preservation of all evidence related to the incident, including body camera footage, dashcam recordings, dispatch audio, CAD and GPS records, vehicle event data, training records, and crash reconstruction materials. The officer's identity has not been confirmed by the Shreveport Police Department. Plaintiffs' counsel has submitted public records requests for identifying information.

The lawsuit asserts claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, municipal liability, negligence, wrongful death, and survival action. Plaintiffs seek compensatory damages, wrongful death damages, survival damages, attorney's fees where authorized by law, costs of court, and a jury trial.

About Shamieh Law

Shamieh Law is a civil rights and personal injury firm fighting for individuals and families in Texas and Louisiana. With offices in Dallas, Austin, Lake Charles, and Arkansas, the firm takes on cases that matter—holding institutions, law enforcement, and corporations accountable when they cause harm. Lead counsel Max E. Guthrie and Shamieh Law founder Ramez Shamieh are available for interviews.

SOURCE Shamieh Law