GoKawiilBody camera footage shows deputy's Flock search ruled unconstitutional in meth case
404 Media obtained body camera and in-car footage, along with Flock and Motorola ALPR records, showing Tulsa County deputy Freddie Alaniz searching license plate reader data on a laptop while driving 60 mph, before fully pulling over driver Melissa Kyle. A federal judge had already ruled the Flock search that led to Kyle's arrest an unconstitutional warrantless search and 'indiscriminate mass surveillance,' tossing out evidence of 91 pounds of methamphetamine found in her car. The footage was purchased from a Tulsa courthouse clerk after the court declined to post it online despite it being entered as evidence.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The footage offers rare visual evidence of how license plate reader systems like Flock can be used to generate suspicion about a driver's travel patterns after the fact, rather than responding to observed wrongdoing, which is the core constitutional problem the judge identified. This case could fuel broader legal and public scrutiny of Flock and similar ALPR systems used by thousands of U.S. police departments, potentially affecting how evidence gathered through these tools is treated in future prosecutions. The deputy's own words, captured on camera, suggest the stop began with California plates rather than any specific suspicious driving behavior.
- A federal judge ruled a Flock license plate reader search unconstitutional, suppressing evidence including 91 pounds of methamphetamine.
- Body camera footage shows the deputy searching Flock while driving before fully stopping the vehicle, seemingly triggered by California plates.
- 404 Media had to purchase the footage directly from a courthouse clerk because it wasn't published online despite being court evidence.
Source: 404media.co — About The Author, 2026-10-19
Published there as: “Footage of the Flock search that a judge ruled was uncosntitutional”
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