Tyler Murkerson, a small-business owner in the U.S. state of Georgia, has filed a lawsuit against Flock and the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, accusing authorities of using license plate reader cameras to monitor and retaliate against him after he filed an earlier lawsuit involving excessive force.
According to Murkerson’s attorneys, searches for his vehicle’s license plate were conducted through the Flock system multiple times over several months, without probable cause or a connection to a specific investigation. He also alleges that he was followed or monitored while driving to and from his home, at a time when his earlier lawsuit against the Sheriff’s Office was still pending.
From a Traffic Stop to Extended Surveillance
The case began in February 2023, when sheriff’s deputies stopped and arrested Murkerson for an alleged seat belt violation, before the charges were dropped several months later. In September 2024, he sued the office, accusing its personnel of using excessive force; that case ended in a recent settlement.
The new lawsuit says that searches for his vehicle were logged with justifications that did not refer to a case, incident, or service call. According to the text of the complaint, during the relevant period Flock’s platform required only text to be entered into a free-form field and accepted random phrases; the complaint cites entries such as “info” and “37” in searches involving Murkerson’s vehicle.
A Weakness in the Design of the Controls
The case is significant beyond the allegations of the parties involved because it focuses on how the surveillance system itself was designed. A free-form text field, without linking a search to a verifiable case number or investigation, may turn recording the reason for use into a merely formal step that does not prevent access to movement data.
The complaint states that Flock announced in August 2026 that it was changing its software to require the use of “case codes for all law enforcement searches” by the end of the year. The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office also began an internal audit of the system that same month, and the complaint says that three employees resigned before the audit was completed.
Why Does This Matter?
The lawsuit shows that the risks of license plate reader systems are not limited to capturing an image of a vehicle, but extend to the possibility of building a record of a particular person’s movements if searches are not restricted to a clear, reviewable investigation. Murkerson’s attorneys connect these practices to alleged violations of Georgia law and the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which imposes limits on searches and surveillance.
Chris Hall, one of the plaintiff’s attorneys, said that the fundamental problem is allowing searches that affect constitutional rights without effective controls. Brian Hofer of Secure Justice, for his part, said he did not know of another lawsuit of the same kind, warning that usage policies may not be enough if actual practices within law enforcement agencies do not change.
Flock denies the allegations, saying it has confidence in the integrity of its technology and its role in solving crimes, finding missing people, and protecting communities, adding that it will defend its position in court. The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.