Pregnant Detroit Woman Claims False Arrest Despite 8-Month Gestation Period

• A Detroit woman has filed a lawsuit claiming she was falsely arrested on charges of carjacking and robbery.
• According to the lawsuit, the police used facial recognition software to match her to the female suspect.
• Despite being eight months pregnant, she alleges that she was forced to sit on a concrete bench in jail for 11 hours.

A Detroit woman has filed a lawsuit claiming she was falsely arrested while eight months pregnant and forced to sit on a concrete jail bench for 11 hours before being released. She alleges that a misleading facial recognition match played a part in the incident.

Porcha Woodruff, 32, is seeking $25 million in damages in her lawsuit against the City of Detroit and Detroit Police Detective LaShauntia Oliver, alleging false arrest and accusations of carjacking and robbery. The lawsuit asserts that the police used unreliable facial recognition software to connect Woodruff to the crime. Facial recognition software has a well-known history of inaccuracy and misidentification, particularly of Black individuals like Woodruff.

Woodruff’s allegations have caused concern among Detroit Police Chief James White, who stated the department is taking the matter very seriously and declined to comment further. Woodruff and her attorney Ivan Land believe that further investigations should be conducted before resorting to facial recognition technology in arrests.

Details of the arrest and allegations

Woodruff’s arrest occurred after a man reported a carjacking and robbery to the Detroit Police. He claimed to have had an encounter with a woman named Trinidad, and they subsequently visited a local gas station, where the woman interacted with several individuals. After leaving, the man was robbed and carjacked by a man present at the gas station.

According to Woodruff’s attorneys, Detroit Police Detective Oliver used facial recognition technology on surveillance footage, which wrongly identified Woodruff as the woman in the video. The man was then shown a lineup of photos, including an outdated image of Woodruff, and identified her as the person he encountered during the carjacking.

Woodruff’s legal team argues that there was no mention of the female suspect being pregnant during Oliver’s interactions with the victim. Furthermore, they claim the victim’s recollection may have been affected by alcohol consumption, as he had been drinking with Trinidad before the carjacking.

The impact on Woodruff and her family

Woodruff initially thought the arrest was a joke when the police showed up at her door with a warrant, considering her visibly pregnant state. As her young children cried, she had to inform them that she was going to jail. The arrest had a significant emotional toll on Woodruff and her family.

Porcha Woodruff

While in jail, Woodruff had to endure standing or sitting on a concrete bench for 11 hours, as there were no available beds or chairs. She was also unable to consume the provided food and drinks due to her gestational diabetes diagnosis. Woodruff expressed her dissatisfaction with the lack of appropriate provisions, including trustworthy drinking water and nutritious options.

After being released on a $100,000 personal bond, Woodruff sought medical attention for dehydration and stress-induced contractions. Eventually, the charges against her were dropped due to a lack of evidence. However, the negative impact on Woodruff and her family persists, both emotionally and financially.

The road ahead for Woodruff

Woodruff stated that the incident has taken a tremendous toll on her and her family, causing heightened anxiety and stress. Her children have developed anxiety as they now fear encounters with the police. Woodruff’s lawyer, Ivan Land, emphasized that his client has a long journey of healing ahead and highlighted the disruption to her personal life and financial burden caused by the proceedings.