Man Arrested After Allegedly Shooting Flaming Projectile at Flock Cameras, Melting Them Into Slag

In Georgia, a 25-year-old man named Colby Williams has been arrested after allegedly setting fire to three automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) belonging to the surveillance company Flock. According to police, Williams is accused of using a flaming projectile to melt the ALPRs into slag, rendering them unusable. The incident reportedly involved the complete melting of at least one camera, with the remaining components displaying a "DeFlock" sticker.

A fourth camera near the scene was found with bullet holes, though the source does not explicitly state the purpose of these shots.

Williams was apprehended using footage from the ALPRs, which captured a vehicle registered under his name. The charges against him include four counts of criminal damage to property, four counts of arson, reckless conduct, and interference with government property. Flock operates on a "hardware-as-a-service" model, meaning they rent out their ALPRs rather than owning them outright.

The use of fire as a means to disable Flock's ALPRs appears to be a novel approach, as prior instances of anti-surveillance activism have typically involved manual tools like hand saws, power drills, or even spray paint. The arrest has sparked a mix of reactions online, with some supporters praising Williams for taking action against the devices while others criticize the police for deploying them in the first place. The post also mentions Flock's declining network value as more of its cameras go offline.