Detroit woman sues police over wrongful arrest tied to faulty facial recognition

Summary

In January 2024, LaDonna Crutchfield was arrested in Detroit after police mistakenly linked her to an attempted murder using a facial recognition database that was never actually run. The arrest, made in front of her children, involved handcuffing, fingerprinting, and DNA sampling before she was released when the error was uncovered. Crutchfield filed a federal lawsuit against the Detroit Police Department and her attorneys alleging algorithmic discrimination, emotional distress, and wrongful arrest. The case highlights concerns over the use of facial recognition technology in law‑enforcement.