The Detroit Police Department revised its policies on how it uses facial recognition software to solve crimes as part of a federal settlement with a man who was wrongfully arrested for theft in 2020 based on the technology, authorities said Friday.
Robert Williams was falsely identified as the shoplifter at a Shinola store in October 2018. Fifteen months later, he was arrested in front of his family in his driveway, booked in jail and held for 30 hours before he was released on a personal bond, according to his lawsuit.
The settlement between Williams and the city of Detroit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on Friday. Previously, in May, the Detroit City Council approved paying Williams $300,000 for damages as part of the settlement.
A Detroit detective ran a grainy photo made from poorly lit footage through the department’s facial recognition technology, Williams’ lawsuit states. In the footage, the shoplifter never looks directly into the camera, the lawsuit said.