Tennessee woman sues Fargo over facial-recognition wrongful arrest

On September 15, 2026, Angela Lipps filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Fargo and Detective Lucas Heck, seeking $10 million in damages. The complaint alleges Heck relied on a flawed facial recognition match and ignored exculpatory evidence to bring bank fraud charges, leading to her arrest at gunpoint and detention for nearly six months. The charges were dismissed in December 2025 after bank records showed she was in Tennessee during the thefts. The suit says Fargo lacked policies governing facial recognition use at the time.