Cops Used Flock to Track a Man Across State Lines for a Pretextual Weed Search
Article URL: https://www.404media.co/cops-used-flock-to-track-a-man-across-state-lines-to-create-pretext-to-search-his-car-for-weed/ Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49184190 Points: 289 # Comments: 167
In April 2025, Wisconsin police employed the Flock surveillance system to track Edward Abrams-Phillips, a man wanted for bail jumping on domestic violence charges. The police discovered that Abrams-Phillips frequently crossed state lines between Wisconsin and Michigan, where marijuana is legal. By using Flock to monitor his travel, police constructed a pretext for searching Abrams-Phillips' car for marijuana, which led to his arrest.
The charges related to marijuana possession, while the bail jumping charge was later dismissed. The incident highlights concerns about the growing use of surveillance technology for petty crimes, potentially setting a dangerous precedent for its misuse against the general public. Furthermore, the presence of Flock cameras outside of cannabis dispensaries in Michigan raises additional privacy issues.
Written by urgent.news from 404 Media's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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