Three South Carolina teens arrested after destroying surveillance camera, causing fire
Three 19-year-olds in Chester County, South Carolina, were taken into custody after they toppled a Flock Safety camera pole and smashed its battery, triggering a blaze.
In Chester County, South Carolina, three 19-year-old men were arrested after they allegedly felled a Flock Safety surveillance camera pole on Harmony Church Road and battered its battery with a hammer, causing an explosion and a fire that threatened nearby houses. The attack occurred in the early hours of Aug. 15 and resulted in damage exceeding $5,000, according to the sheriff’s office. The suspects—Blaze Fuller, Samuel Carlisle and James Ryerson—were charged with criminal conspiracy and malicious injury to personal property and were released on bond after being booked on Aug. 18 and 19.
Local resident David Cunupp warned that the blaze could have spread to his home if not for rain, and he voiced doubts about a private firm operating the camera network. The incident adds to growing controversy over Flock’s nationwide license-plate reader system, which has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers such as Sen. Josh Hawley and prompted actions by local officials in Texas and Arizona.
Why it matters
The case highlights community safety risks and privacy concerns surrounding privately operated surveillance cameras.
How this story developed
- Jul 9 Flock Safety CEO brands transparency group as 'terrorist' amid AI camera controversy
- Aug 8 The Navajo Nation signed a contract to deploy Flock cameras across its reservation.
- Aug 12 Authorities found solar‑panel parts linked to Flock cameras during a search of Sovern’s residence.
- Aug 13 Flock Safety announced it will keep license-plate-reader footage for only seven days and require police to log a case code for every query.
- Aug 13 Former Bibb County sheriff’s deputies were arrested on stalking charges for using Flock license‑plate readers for personal purposes.
- Aug 13 Flock made its audit tool mandatory and reduced the default retention window to seven days.
- Aug 18 Park rangers reported Flock cameras appearing in several national forests.
- Aug 19 West Virginia legislator Chris Anders introduced a bill to ban Flock Safety cameras on constitutional grounds.
- Aug 21 New Bedford Police Department shut down its entire Flock camera system after discovering repeated unauthorized plate searches.
- Aug 26 Texas residents rallied at a Harris County meeting to demand stronger privacy protections for Flock cameras.
- Aug 26 A clerical error in Milwaukee’s Flock camera database led to a gunpoint traffic stop, prompting the driver to hire counsel and submit a notice of claim against the city and police department.
- Aug 26 Legislators have moved to propose bans or funding cuts for Flock Safety’s camera systems.
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