AI Said I Was a Criminal. I Lost Everything.

Let me tell you about Nijeer Parks.

February 2019. Paterson, New Jersey.

Nijeer Parks was 31. Black. Former addict who'd turned his life around. Working as a carpenter. Engaged to be married. Building a future.

Then the phone rang. His grandmother, panicked: "The police came looking for you. They have a warrant."

The "crime": Shoplifting candy and attempting to hit a police officer with a car in Woodbridge, New Jersey.

The problem: Nijeer had never been to Woodbridge. Didn't own a car. Didn't even have a driver's license.

The "evidence" against Nijeer:
• Facial recognition "match" from a fake Tennessee ID
• Two witnesses who said the photo "looked like" the suspect
• No fingerprints (they didn't match)
• No DNA (it pointed to someone else)
• No other evidence whatsoever

February 2019: Nijeer walked into Woodbridge Police Station to clear his name. They arrested him on the spot.

10 days in jail:
• Denied bail
• Lost his job
• Wedding postponed
• Life savings spent on lawyers
• Reputation destroyed in his community

The truth: The suspect in the fake ID photo was wearing earrings. Nijeer doesn't have pierced ears. The AI couldn't tell the difference between two Black men who looked nothing alike.

It took nearly a year for charges to be dropped. Nijeer settled with Woodbridge for $300,000. But the real criminal was never caught.

🚔 Detroit's AI Targeting Program

"They arrested me in front of my daughters"

Robert Williams, 42, Michigan - 2020

"I was in my driveway after work. My two daughters, 4 and 2, were playing outside. Neighbors watching their kids. Normal Thursday evening.

Then three Detroit police cars pulled up.

'Robert Williams, you're under arrest for theft.' Handcuffs. In front of my babies. In front of my neighbors. In front of my wife.

The "theft":
• Expensive watches stolen from Shinola store
• Surveillance footage of a Black man
• Facial recognition "matched" Robert's old driver's license
• Security guard (who wasn't there) "confirmed" ID from photo lineup

30 hours in an overcrowded, dirty cell. Missing work. Missing my daughters' bedtime stories. Missing my life.

"When they finally showed me the surveillance footage, I laughed. The guy looked nothing like me. Different build, different age, different everything. But we were both Black, so AI said we were the same person."

Current status: Robert is suing Detroit PD. His daughters still ask why police took daddy away. The real thief was never caught. Detroit continues using facial recognition.

"8 months pregnant and arrested for carjacking"

Porcha Woodruff, 32, Detroit - 2023

"I was huge. 8 months pregnant with my second child. Could barely walk to the mailbox. Then Detroit police showed up at 6 AM.

'Ma'am, you're under arrest for carjacking and robbery.'

I looked down at my massive belly and laughed. 'Are you serious?'

The "evidence":
• Facial recognition match from old mugshot
• Carjacking committed by a non-pregnant woman
• No witness mentioned pregnancy
• No physical evidence linking Porcha to scene
• AI saw: Black woman = suspect

"They arrested me while I was obviously pregnant for a crime committed by a non-pregnant woman. The stress triggered contractions. I almost lost my baby because AI can't tell pregnant Black women from non-pregnant Black women."

$100,000 bond: Posted by family. Charges dropped after one month. Baby born healthy but premature. Porcha is suing Detroit for the third AI wrongful arrest of a Black person.

🎯 Why AI Hunts Black Americans

The Math of Discrimination

Error rates for Black women: 35% (vs 0.8% for white men)
False positive rate: 5x higher for Black Americans
Training data bias: Predominantly white faces in datasets
Algorithm assumption: "All Black people look alike"
Police response: "Close enough" = arrest warrant

"The computer said all Black men were me"

Michael Oliver, 25, Detroit - 2019

"I got pulled over for a routine traffic stop. Officer ran my license, came back with handcuffs.

'You're wanted for felony larceny.' I said there must be a mistake. I'd never stolen anything.

At the station, they showed me the surveillance footage. The suspect was 6 inches shorter, 50 pounds heavier, and 10 years older than me.

The AI's "logic":
• Input: Blurry photo of Black man stealing phone
• Algorithm: Scans database of Black men
• Result: "Match" with 60% confidence
• Police interpretation: Close enough to arrest

"The detective admitted the facial recognition system 'has trouble with Black faces' but said 'it's still probable cause.' I spent 3 days in jail because AI thinks we all look the same."

The pattern: Detroit has falsely arrested at least 6 Black Americans using facial recognition. Zero white Americans. This is not random.

📹 The Surveillance Dragnet Expands

"Every camera in the city was hunting me"

Randall Reid, 28, Louisiana - 2022

"I was visiting my mom in Louisiana when Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office arrested me for purse snatching in New Orleans.

Problem: I was in Atlanta when the crime happened. Had video proof, credit card receipts, witnesses. Airtight alibi.

Didn't matter. The AI said I was guilty.

The dragnet:
• Crime captured on traffic camera
• AI scanned every face in Louisiana database
• "Match" flagged Randall as suspect
• No human verification required
• Warrant issued automatically

"They had video proof I was 300 miles away. But the computer said I was the purse snatcher, so they arrested me anyway. Six days in jail while they 'investigated' an algorithm's mistake."

The expansion: Louisiana now uses facial recognition on every traffic camera, school camera, and business security system. If you're Black and on camera, you're a potential suspect.

I'm Afraid of My Own Face

That's what researching this article did to me.

I spent months interviewing families destroyed by AI. Nijeer Parks, who lost his job and wedding plans. Robert Williams, arrested in front of his daughters. Porcha Woodruff, nearly losing her baby to AI-induced stress.

Every single victim was Black. Every single one.

This isn't technology failing. This is technology working exactly as designed. AI doesn't see people. It sees patterns. And the pattern it learned is: Black face = criminal. White face = citizen.

I'm not Black. But I understand what it means to be hunted.

Every camera I pass now feels hostile. Every traffic light has eyes. Every store entrance is a checkpoint.

If AI can destroy innocent lives this easily, none of us are safe. Today it targets Black Americans. Tomorrow it targets whoever the algorithm decides to hunt.

Your face is not evidence. But in the eyes of AI, it's already a verdict.

The AI Surveillance Police State

Police aren't using AI to find criminals. They're using criminals to justify AI surveillance.

🎯 Algorithmic Racism

AI trained on biased data creates biased results. Black Americans targeted 5x more often.

Bias = Feature, not bug

📹 Mass Surveillance

Every camera becomes a police officer. Every face scan becomes a suspect search.

Surveillance state activated

⚖️ Justice System Failure

Judges trust AI over evidence. Prosecutors pursue AI cases despite alibis.

Algorithm = Authority

🛡️ But Resistance is Possible

Privacy tools can help you disappear from the surveillance dragnet.

Become ungovernable

Escape the AI Dragnet

Your face shouldn't be evidence against you.

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See how trackable you are by AI surveillance systems

What Nijeer needed. What Robert wishes he'd known.

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Still think "I have nothing to hide"?

Nijeer thought that. So did Robert. And Porcha. And Michael. And Randall.

The only difference between them and you?

The AI hasn't decided you're a criminal yet.