US News
South Carolina teenagers charged after license plate surveillance camera pole cut down
Three 19-year-olds face conspiracy and property damage charges after a Flock Safety camera pole was cut down and its battery ignited.
The short version
- Three 19-year-old men were arrested in Chester County, South Carolina, for allegedly cutting down a Flock Safety camera pole and hammering its battery until it caught fire.
- The suspects were charged with criminal conspiracy and malicious injury to personal property, with damage estimated at over $5,000.
- The incident occurred amid expanding national scrutiny and legislative investigations into Flock Safety's widespread automated license plate reader network.
Key facts
- Blaze Fuller, Samuel Carlisle, and James Ryerson, all age 19, were arrested on Aug. 18 and released on $5,000 bond the following day in Chester County, South Carolina.[Fox News]
- Authorities allege the suspects cut down a Flock Safety camera pole on Aug. 15 along Harmony Church Road and struck the battery unit with a hammer, igniting a fire.[Fox News]
- The Chester County Sheriff's Office estimated the property damage from the incident to be more than $5,000.[Fox News]
- Sen. Josh Hawley launched a Senate Judiciary subcommittee investigation into Flock Safety's license plate camera network, citing concerns over its database scale.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- It is not specified in reporting whether the suspects have entered formal pleas or retained legal counsel.[Fox News]