Summary
Fargo police admitted they made mistakes using facial recognition technology, which led to the wrongful arrest of Angela Lipps, a woman from Tennessee. She spent over five months in jail, although she was not involved in the crime. The charges were eventually dropped, and police announced new limits on using AI technology in investigations.
Key Facts
- Angela Lipps, a 50-year-old grandmother from Tennessee, was wrongly jailed for over five months due to errors in facial recognition technology.
- The arrest occurred after police in North Dakota issued a warrant linking her to bank fraud over 1,000 miles away.
- Lipps was identified by a facial recognition tool called Clearview AI, used by West Fargo Police.
- Clearview AI has been used in about 250 cases over the last two years by the department.
- Bank records and location data showed Lipps was in Tennessee at the time of the alleged crimes.
- The charges against Lipps were dismissed without prejudice on December 23, 2025, and she was released the following day.
- Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibolski has announced new restrictions on the use of AI tools to prevent similar errors in the future.
- The police acknowledged that the investigation is part of a broader organized fraud scheme across multiple states.
