Angela Lipps, a 50-year-old grandmother from Tennessee, was wrongfully arrested and detained for over five months after a facial recognition program mistakenly flagged her for bank fraud in North Dakota, a state she had never visited.
Lipps’ ordeal, which began in July 2023, ended only after bank records proved she was in Tennessee at the time of the alleged crime.
The Wrongful Arrest and Extradition
Lipps was arrested at her rental home in Tennessee in July 2023 and was later extradited to Fargo, North Dakota, at the end of October. The West Fargo Police Department had used facial recognition technology, specifically Clearview AI, which erroneously identified Lipps as a potential suspect in a local fraud case.
Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibolski admitted that the system and investigative process contributed to the wrongful arrest, with the department later realizing the error.
Facial Recognition Technology and Its Role in the Arrest
Clearview AI, the facial recognition software used by the West Fargo Police Department, flagged Lipps due to a similarity between her features and those of the actual fraud suspect.
After the technology identified her, the department conducted additional investigations to confirm her identity, but failed to properly cross-check the information before taking action.
The Impact of the Wrongful Detention
While Lipps was held in Tennessee for three months, a mix-up by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office delayed her extradition to North Dakota. Once she was finally sent to Fargo, Lipps was already “terrified, exhausted, and humiliated,” according to a GoFundMe campaign she launched during her ordeal.
In Fargo, Lipps was provided with a lawyer who quickly obtained bank records proving she had been in Tennessee during the time of the fraud. It only took five minutes for the fraud case against her to collapse.
Release and Aftermath
On December 23, 2023, after five months of wrongful detention, the charges against Lipps were dismissed without prejudice. She was released on Christmas Eve. However, her life had been deeply affected by the wrongful arrest.
Her reputation had been tarnished, her rental home was lost, and all of her belongings were seized when her storage unit bill went unpaid.
In her GoFundMe campaign, Lipps stated, “I am not the same woman I was. I don’t think I ever will be.”
Police Response and Policy Changes
In response to the incident, Chief Zibolski assured that the Fargo Police Department would no longer use Clearview AI’s information, as they do not know how it is managed or overseen.
The department is also taking steps to improve its use of facial recognition technology, ensuring that all identifications made through the system are reviewed by the department’s Investigation Division.
Zibolski admitted that the department should have consulted agencies trained in facial recognition before taking action based on the software’s identification.
Fundraising and Support
Lipps’ GoFundMe campaign raised over $68,000, helping to cover legal costs and losses from the wrongful arrest. Supporters have rallied around her, offering financial and emotional support after the harrowing experience.
The case highlights the potential dangers and inaccuracies of using facial recognition technology without proper safeguards and oversight.
