On March 26, 2022, around 8:20 a.m., a male individual wearing light-blue Nike sweatpants boarded a bus near a shopping plaza in Timonium, outside Baltimore. Following a request from the bus driver to comply with the face mask policy, the man engaged in a dispute with her. He made a threatening statement, leaning over the plastic shield separating them. Subsequently, he forcibly took the driver’s iPhone and fled the scene after a physical altercation, leaving the driver injured. The incident was captured on surveillance cameras, leading to the creation of a bulletin with images of the suspected perpetrator, a slender Black man in his mid-fifties.
The bulletin was shared with law enforcement agencies, including the Maryland Transit Administration Police and the state’s attorney’s office of Harford County. A facial-recognition search identified Alonzo Cornelius Sawyer as a person of interest. Sawyer, who had a history of traffic violations, became the focus of the investigation. Despite his denial of involvement in the bus incident, Sawyer was arrested and faced multiple charges, including assault and theft.
During the interrogation, Sawyer provided an alibi, stating that he was with his wife at his sister-in-law’s house in Abingdon on the day of the incident. However, doubts about his identity persisted, leading to further investigation. Sawyer’s wife and probation officer raised concerns about the misidentification, emphasizing disparities in physical appearance and clothing between Sawyer and the suspect in the surveillance footage.
As the case unfolded, it became evident that Sawyer’s prior interactions with law enforcement, along with the limitations of facial-recognition technology, had played a significant role in his wrongful arrest. The lack of transparency and regulation surrounding facial-recognition searches raised questions about the reliability and potential biases of such technology.
Ultimately, Sawyer was released from custody after additional evidence and testimonies cast doubt on his involvement in the bus assault. The case highlighted the complexities and risks associated with facial-recognition technology, urging for greater oversight and accountability in its use by law enforcement agencies.
