Fargo Police to Hold Press Conference on Angela Lipps Case

Grandmother from Tennessee says she was arrested at gunpoint while babysitting children.

Mar. 24, 2026 at 9:20pm

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Fargo Police will hold a press conference on Tuesday, March 24 regarding the case of Angela Lipps, a grandmother from Elizabethton, Tennessee who says she was arrested at gunpoint in July 2025 while babysitting children. Lipps claims she was held in a Tennessee jail for 108 days before being transported to North Dakota, despite charges being dropped by the Cass County State's Attorney's Office. Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski says the department does not definitively know Lipps' involvement in a bank fraud investigation, and that they used facial recognition software to match her to surveillance footage.

Why it matters

This case raises concerns about the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement and the potential for wrongful arrests, as well as the legal implications for public entities involved in such cases.

The details

Fargo Police used facial recognition software to match Angela Lipps to surveillance footage from a bank fraud case, leading to her arrest at gunpoint while babysitting children in Tennessee. Lipps was held in jail for 108 days before charges were dropped, but Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski says the department is unsure of her involvement in the bank fraud investigation.

  • The press conference will be held on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at noon.
  • Lipps was arrested on July 14, 2025.

The players

Angela Lipps

A grandmother from Elizabethton, Tennessee who was arrested at gunpoint while babysitting children, despite charges being dropped.

David Zibolski

The Fargo Police Chief who says the department is unsure of Lipps' involvement in a bank fraud investigation, and that they used facial recognition software to match her to surveillance footage.

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What they’re saying

“That information requires additional investigative steps. That's really best practice. I can't just rely on that solely and that wasn't the sole reason in which this case was put together.”

— David Zibolski, Fargo Police Chief

What’s next

The Fargo City Commission met in executive session on March 16 to receive advice from the city attorney on possible civil or criminal litigation involving Lipps.

The takeaway

This case highlights the need for greater oversight and accountability in the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement, as well as the importance of thorough investigations to avoid wrongful arrests and detentions.