{
  "id": 182407,
  "title": "Cops Used Flock to Track a Man Across State Lines to Create Pretext to Search His Car for Weed",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/cops-used-flock-to-track-a-man-across-state-lines-to-create-pretext",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-05T14:50:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "404 Media",
    "slug": "404-media",
    "url": "https://www.404media.co/cops-used-flock-to-track-a-man-across-state-lines-to-create-pretext-to-search-his-car-for-weed/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "\"The vehicle travels to Michigan frequently which is a known source state for marijuana as it is legal there,\" a probable cause justification reads.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hacker News Best",
        "title": "Cops Used Flock to Track a Man Across State Lines for a Pretextual Weed Search",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/cops-used-flock-to-track-a-man-across-state-lines-for-a-pretextual",
        "published": "2026-08-05T15:20:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}