Woonsocket to Pay $550,000 After Jailing Innocent Homeless Man for 31 Days

The City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, has agreed to pay $550,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed by a homeless Black man who was wrongfully arrested and jailed for more than a month for crimes he did not commit (ACLU of Rhode Island). The case highlights long-standing concerns about police procedures, racial misidentification, and the devastating consequences of detaining individuals who cannot afford even minimal bail.

The settlement, announced last week by the ACLU of Rhode Island, resolves claims brought on behalf of Mack Blackie, a Liberian immigrant and longtime Woonsocket resident. Blackie had been twice arrested based on police reports and arrest warrants that, his attorneys argue, knowingly misidentified him as a burglary suspect.

His 31-day incarceration was lengthened solely because he was unable to pay the $100 cash bond required on his $1,000 bail—an amount small on paper but insurmountable for someone who had recently become homeless and unemployed (The Public’s Radio).

A photo of Rhode Island resident Mack Blackie, who will receive $465,000 directly as part of the settlement, circulated widely after the announcement (Atlanta Black Star).

How the Misidentification Began

According to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in October 2024 (Atlanta Black Star), the trouble began in August 2022 when the Woonsocket apartment of William Grover and Veronica Higbie was broken into. Grover told responding officers that the intruder was known locally by the nickname “Black” and made clear he could identify the man if given the chance.

A week later, then-Detective Timothy Hammond, a 15-year veteran of the Woonsocket Police Department, followed up and repeatedly asked Grover whether Mack Blackie was the perpetrator. Grover—who personally knew both “Black” and Blackie—explicitly stated that Blackie was not the intruder, detailing physical differences between the two men, including height, build, and dental appearance (ACLU of Rhode Island).

Despite this, Hammond failed to set up the promised photo lineup. Instead, he falsely wrote in his witness statement that Grover had “positively identified” Blackie as the suspect. Hammond later doubled down on this narrative in his request for an arrest warrant, claiming Grover told another officer that Blackie committed the break-in.

A Wrongful Arrest and a Health Crisis

At the time, Blackie was struggling. After losing his job with a food distributor during the pandemic, he became homeless and relied on free meals at local parks (The Public’s Radio). On August 30, 2022, while walking to secure a hot meal, he was suddenly taken into custody. He spent the night in the Woonsocket police station and collapsed the next morning in court due to alcohol-withdrawal complications, requiring several days of hospitalization.

Upon release, he got sober, sought employment, and tried to rebuild stability. But months later, he was rearrested for the same burglary—this time charged with felony breaking and entering and assault. According to the lawsuit, Hammond still had not shown Grover or Higbie a photo of Blackie before initiating the second arrest.

Because Blackie was on probation at the time, he was jailed for 18 days without bail as a probation violator. When bail was later set, he remained incarcerated another 13 days because he could not pay the $100 cash requirement. Ultimately, an employee from The Milagros Project, a nonprofit where Blackie volunteered, paid the amount on his behalf.

A Chance Encounter That Changed Everything

The truth emerged only in February 2023, during a pretrial conference. Grover and Higbie saw Blackie in a courthouse hallway and instantly realized the police had arrested the wrong man.

“That’s not him,” Higbie reportedly said before turning to Blackie and apologizing: “I am so sorry, honey. I am so sorry. This was never you” (Atlanta Black Star).

They alerted the prosecutor, and all charges were dismissed the same day.

Discipline for the Officer

Officer Hammond was later suspended for 10 days and demoted from detective to patrol officer for failing to follow investigative procedures (WPRI). The department stated that Hammond “accepted responsibility” and remains employed. Woonsocket Public Safety Director Eugene Jalette later said Hammond may have been “overzealous” due to a heavy caseload and mistakenly believed he had the right suspect (Atlanta Black Star).

The Lawsuit and the Settlement

Blackie’s lawsuit argued that Hammond and the city violated the Fourth Amendment by subjecting him to unreasonable seizure, false arrest, false imprisonment, and malicious prosecution. Filed by ACLU cooperating attorneys Joshua Xavier and Chloe Davis, the suit sought compensation for the emotional, financial, and physical toll of his wrongful incarceration (ACLU of Rhode Island).

Under the settlement’s terms, Blackie will receive $465,425, while his attorneys will receive $84,575. Although the city agreed to pay, it admits no liability and maintains that neither it nor Hammond violated Blackie’s constitutional rights.

Blackie, now 37, expressed gratitude after the agreement: “I am grateful and thankful to God for making everything successful and am happy and glad justice has been done” (ACLU of Rhode Island).

His attorney, Xavier, told WPRI that Blackie plans to use the funds to secure stable housing, purchase a car, and start a college fund for his 14-year-old daughter.

A Life Rebuilding After Injustice

Blackie has maintained sobriety for three years and currently buses tables at an Olive Garden restaurant, though he continues sleeping on a friend’s couch (The Public’s Radio). Those close to him describe him as resilient, hardworking, and undeserving of the trauma he endured.

“He’s a really decent human being,” Xavier said. “He’s a great father, and what happened to him is nothing less than tragic” (WPRI).

Director Jalette emphasized that the department is “awful apologetic” and that internal policies are in place to prevent such errors. He added that while the settlement cannot undo the harm, he hopes it offers Blackie “help, healing, and closure” (Atlanta Black Star).