Detroit Woman Sues City and Police Officer for False Arrest and Racial Bias in Facial Recognition-Based Carjacking Case
A Detroit woman, Porcha Woodruff, has filed a lawsuit against the city and a police officer, alleging false arrest and racial bias in a case involving facial recognition-based carjacking charges. Woodruff, an African-American woman, claims that she was arrested when she was eight months pregnant and charged with burglary and carjacking, which were later dismissed by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office due to lack of evidence.
According to the lawsuit, on February 16, six Detroit police officers arrived at Woodruff’s home and served her with an arrest warrant while she was getting her two children ready for school. Woodruff’s children witnessed their mother’s arrest, leaving them distraught and in tears. Woodruff states, “Both of my sons had to witness their mother’s arrest. They stood there crying as they took me away.”
Woodruff’s case is now one of three lawsuits filed by black Michigan residents who have been targeted by facial recognition technology. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan has called on the Detroit Police Department to discontinue the use of this technology, which they claim led to Woodruff’s wrongful arrest.
The lawsuit alleges that Woodruff has suffered emotional distress as a result of the arrest. Being already pregnant with multiple complications, the stress surrounding the arrest further endangered her baby. Woodruff expressed her concerns, stating, “I could have lost my son.”
The incident unfolded after Woodruff was identified as the subject of a robbery and carjacking through the Detroit Police Department’s facial recognition technology. The victim of the carjacking positively identified Woodruff from a lineup of photos presented by the detectives. However, critics argue that facial recognition technology is prone to misidentifying people of color more frequently than white individuals.
This is not the first time the Detroit Police Department has faced legal action over the misuse of facial recognition technology. In 2021, Robert Williams, another black man, sued the department after being falsely identified as a suspected shoplifter. Similarly, Michael Oliver sued the city in 2021, claiming that his false arrest in 2019 led to his job loss.
Responding to the lawsuit, Phil Mayor, senior attorney for the ACLU of Michigan, expressed concern about the continued reliance on faulty facial recognition technology. Mayor said, “It is deeply troubling that the Detroit Police Department knows the devastating consequences of using faulty facial recognition technology as the basis for someone’s arrest and continues to rely on it anyway.”
The Wayne County District Attorney’s office defended the arrest warrant, stating that it was appropriate based on the facts. They also noted that the case was dismissed because the complainant failed to appear in court.
Detroit Police Chief James E. White acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations and stated that the department is taking the matter seriously. Chief White emphasized the need for further research and investigation into the use of technology.
Woodruff hopes her lawsuit will lead to changes in the way police use technology and prevent such incidents from happening to others. She believes that her advanced stage of pregnancy may have influenced how she was treated and wishes to ensure justice for others in similar situations.
As the debate surrounding privacy and potential biases in artificial intelligence continues, these cases highlight the urgent need for comprehensive reforms and safeguards in the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement agencies.