A new lawsuit against the City of Austin claims Austin Police Department officers pinned 29-year-old Peyton Victoria Bradley to the ground while she was bleeding from stab wounds, and that she later died on June 5, 2024. The complaint says Bradley lost her pulse 44 minutes after the first 911 call. It also alleges emergency medical personnel told officers to let her go while the encounter was being recorded on camera, that officers failed to secure the scene, and that Bradley’s family was not told of her death for 10 days.
According to KEYE/CBS Austin, the suit was filed by Bradley’s mother, Melisanne Gallant Velyvis, who says officers held her daughter down as she bled. The complaint also claims Bradley was later listed as homeless at the medical examiner’s office, even though she had a Texas driver’s license on her with her name and home address.
Travis County probate records show an estate for Peyton Victoria Bradley was opened in July 2024, with a woman identified in filings as Melissanne Velyvis listed as the applicant, a step that tracks with the family’s move into litigation, according to Docket Alarm. Separately, documents from the City of Austin’s Office of Police Oversight show a family member asked for a formal review of APD case number 24-2480038 and Medical Examiner case 24-05372, requesting body-worn camera footage, 911 audio, and other records, according to the City of Austin Office of Police Oversight.
The City of Austin told KEYE/CBS Austin it had “not yet been served with this lawsuit, but will review it and respond appropriately,” and said it is already defending a case with similar allegations in state court. The city did not elaborate beyond that statement.
Public records and local coverage show Austin has paid roughly $37 million in police-related settlements over the last five years, a figure that has helped fuel scrutiny of APD in courtrooms and at City Hall. FOX 7 Austin reported on the settlement totals, while Austin Current has pointed to recent changes and ongoing community concerns about how the department logs use-of-force incidents and what it shares with the public.
Legal questions and oversight review
If the lawsuit’s allegations are substantiated, they could support state wrongful-death claims and federal civil-rights actions, likely putting body-worn camera recordings, 911 logs, and internal APD materials under a microscope in discovery. The family’s request for an Office of Police Oversight review specifically seeks body camera clips, officer notes, and 911 audio, according to the City of Austin Office of Police Oversight.
The case is still in its early stages. Formal service of the lawsuit and the first round of responses will shape the court schedule and determine whether internal or oversight reviews proceed alongside the litigation. For now, court dockets, probate files, and oversight records are likely to be the key places where new details emerge as the fight over what happened to Peyton Bradley moves forward.
