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Lawsuit filed against Detroit police after false facial recognition software hit causes arrest
A mother of two was frisked and handcuffed after being arrested for a carjacking in front of her young daughters. But the problem is she was eight months pregnant - and had nothing to do with the crime.
TUESDAY NEWS HIT - A mother of two was frisked and handcuffed after being arrested for a carjacking in front of her young daughters. But the problem is she was eight months pregnant - and had nothing to do with the crime.
"I wasn't here - I don't know this person," said Porcha Woodruff. "I don't know if I can say what I want to - but what in the hell, seriously?"
Woodruff says she was getting her 7- and 12-year-old daughters ready for school the morning of February 16th when there was a knock at the door. It was the police - six officers in all.
"(They said) 'We have a warrant for your arrest,'" she said. "Initially I thought it was a joke."
It was no joke - and it was all in front of her young daughters.
"They're like - my mom is going to jail, mom, you're pregnant, what is going on? They were scared - they're still scared," she said.
Her attorney says Detroit police were investigating a carjacking and had run surveillance video from a gas station through their facial recognition software.
DPD says it got a hit on a photo from eight years ago of Woodruff - then put that photo in a lineup that was allegedly chosen by the victim. But it doesn't appear any other investigation occurred.
"There's nothing in the report that says the suspect is pregnant - this is pretty simple," said Ivan Land, her attorney.
Instead of listening, police took the pregnant and innocent woman with gestational diabetes to the Detroit Detention Center where she spent 11 hours. After she was released on a $100,000 personal bond, she went straight to the hospital.
"They had to give me fluids because I was dehydrated," Woodruff said. "My blood pressure was up - my baby's heart rate was low."
Mom and baby were stabilized, and she had her son the following month. The charges were later dropped - but now Woodruff is suing Detroit police in federal court.
"They violated her fourth amendment right - false arrest - false imprisonment," Land said. "This is faulty police work by the Detroit police, and it has to stop. As officers - do your job."
DPD Chief James White released a statement saying the allegations are very concerning and they are taking the investigation very seriously. But critics say this is the third time they know of - that facial recognition technology has led to a wrongful arrest.
"The Detroit Police Department needs to recognize that it is using dangerous technology that fails at particularly high rates for people with Black faces in one of the blackest cities in America - and stop using this racist surveillance technology here in Detroit," said Phil Mayor, Michigan ACLU attorney.
Activists and victims - hope city leaders are listening.
"We have research that says it's an ineffective tool," said Tawana Petty, Detroit Digital Justice Coalition. "We've wasted millions and millions of dollars, we have misidentification cases. what more do we need to move beyond leveraging this technology in our community."
"I don't feel that it should have happened - I definitely don't want it to happen to anyone else because that was a situation I feel like could have been prevented," Woodruff said.
Lions sign Teddy Bridgewater, per AP
The Detroit Lions have reached an agreement with free agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke Monday night to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to share the details.
Bridgewater visited the Lions last month, and the team made it clear they were interested in adding him as Jared Goff’s backup. The 30-year-old Bridgewater fills a need for a team looking to win a division title for the first time in three decades.
Nate Sudfeld and rookie Hendon Hooker are on the depth chart behind Goff. Sudfeld, whose future with the franchise is in doubt, has played in just six games since Washington drafted the former Indiana standout in the sixth round in 2016. Hooker tore the ACL in his left knee eight months ago, and isn’t expected to play anytime soon.
Bridgewater, meanwhile, has started at least one game in seven of his eight seasons and last year filled in for Miami Dolphins starter Tua Tagovailoa.
– Courtesy of the Associated Press
August Primary elections today
It's no presidential race but depending on where you live, there are several key elections for voters to pay attention to Tuesday. Campaigns for mayor and city council are taking place in several cities around Metro Detroit.
That includes races for mayor in Westland, Warren, Melvindale, and Eastpointe - which could alter the political landscape in the state thanks to two of the candidates in those races also serving in the legislature. If either wins, it could drop Democrats' majority to a tie and make it harder to pass legislation.
There are also elections for city council in Hamtramck, Dearborn Heights, and Warren - the latter of which has been embroiled in a bitter fight with its outgoing Mayor Jim Fouts, who recently said he intends to sue the city council for keeping him off the ballot.
There are also millage votes for several school districts in Oakland County. You can find a full breakdown of races in the state at this link. For more help on voting, you'll find all necessary info here.
I-75 and M-53 warranty road work begins
Warranty work road repairs will be made starting this weekend in Wayne and Macomb counties, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. The repairs start Aug. 11 on I-75 and M-53. Repairs on M-53 (Van Dyke) are expected to be done in one weekend, while the I-75 work is are expected to last until Aug. 20.
Wayne County: According to MDOT, starting at 9 a.m. Friday, northbound I-75 will be reduced to one lane from the US-24 (Telegraph Road) connector to the Rouge River bridge.
The warranty work reduces northbound I-75 from the US-24 connector to North Line Road through Sunday, Aug. 20, and includes closing the eastbound Eureka Road ramp to northbound I-75. The double-lane closure is needed for pavement repair on the bridges carrying northbound I-75 over Eureka and North Line roads.
Macomb County: Beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, warranty pavement repair will require closing northbound and southbound M-53 (Van Dyke Road) between 37 Mile and Boardman roads in Bruce Township. The freeway is expected to reopen by 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 14.
Detroit man sentenced in party store worker's murder
The 24-year-old Detroit man charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a party store worker during a violent robbery attempt was sentenced to life in prison.
D'vante Howard appeared before a judge Aug. 7 after he was found guilty by a jury in July. Howard was sentenced after being convicted on three felony firearm charges, two armed robbery charges, and one felony murder charge.
Howard, who was 23 at the time of the shooting, killed Behnam Rasho at his place of business on James Couzens in January 2022. He allegedly walked into Andy's Market on Jan. 17 and started shooting. Police said he entered the store and tired to buy a bottle of liquor. When Rasho opened a door to leave the register area, police said Howard shot and killed him.
Howard also pointed a gun at another man before demanding that he open the cash registers, eventually fleeing with the money. He was later arrested following a tip from the public that pointed toward Howard as the offender.
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Daily Forecast
Temperatures rebound into the 80s Tuesday. There is also a chance for rain later in the afternoon - something we can expect throughout the week. Nothing severe is expected to dampen weather too much, however.
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Morning showers ended and the sun eventually got here
More heat as we head through the week.
What else we're watching
- A Nashville-based supply chain company with hundreds of jobs in Michigan has filed for bankruptcy. Yellow Corp will shutter due to long-running financial woes and a dispute with its labor force.
- Zingerman's is the latest place to expand access to narcan for opioid overdoses. U-M also says it will work on a pilot train-the-trainer model at the restaurant in hopes of expanding the training elsewhere.
- Plymouth voted down a proposal to hike prices on businesses using outdoor space by 50 cents per square foot. The controversial proposal was supported by the mayor, but not much of the business community.
- The Michigan governor has declared August as Breastfeeding Month with special designations for different ethnicities at different times of the month.
- Did you know you can watch Detroit Lions' preseason games for free on FOX 2? We'll be streaming the start of the season here online. Here's how to watch the games in the coming weeks.
Brawl at Montgomery, Alabama riverfront dock caught on video
A massive brawl broke out on a riverfront dock in Montgomery, Alabama, on Saturday evening over what appeared to be the docking of a pontoon boat, and the city’s mayor says several "reckless" individuals were detained.
The fight between a group of individuals and a man, who appeared to be a dockworker, was captured on video around 7 p.m. by onlookers aboard a nearby boat at Riverfront Park.
The woman recording the video can be heard saying that a worker was moving a black pontoon boat that had docked after the apparent owners were told they could not leave the boat in that area.