Detroit Settles Wrongful Arrest Case for $300,000

The City of Detroit has agreed to pay $300,000 to Robert Williams, who was wrongfully arrested due to flawed facial recognition technology. As part of the settlement, Detroit Police Department must change its policies, prohibiting arrests based solely on facial recognition results and requiring additional supporting evidence. This policy update follows the wrongful conviction of Williams in 2020, when he was misidentified from grainy security footage at a Shinola store. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative argue that the technology is flawed and racially biased, particularly affecting Black individuals. The new policies will be enforceable for four years and require police training on the risks of using facial recognition technology. Detroit police will also review past cases from 2017 to 2023 where this technology was used.