Columbine Valley, Colorado — A Colorado police officer relied on automated license plate reader data from Flock cameras to wrongly accuse an innocent woman of package theft, then refused to review evidence clearing her, according to body camera footage obtained by 404 Media.
The incident occurred in September when Columbine Valley Sgt. Jamie Milliman accused resident Christina Elser of stealing a package, citing repeated detections of her vehicle by Flock cameras in nearby Bow Mar. Milliman told Elser he had video proof and described the case as “100 percent” certain. However, Elser was not responsible for the theft and was visiting her tailor at the time.
Elser repeatedly told the officer she had Ring camera footage from the tailor’s home and video from her Rivian vehicle showing her location. In recorded calls, Milliman dismissed the evidence, told her to take the matter to a judge, and refused to answer basic questions about the suspect shown in the surveillance footage. He also asserted broad authority over the jurisdiction and declined requests to speak with a supervisor.
The Colorado Sun first reported on the case, later confirming that Milliman received disciplinary action in the form of additional training for unprofessional conduct. Two weeks after the confrontation, Columbine Valley Police Chief Bret Cottrell reviewed Elser’s evidence and voided the summons before it entered the court system.
The episode has renewed concerns about overreliance on surveillance technology and the potential consequences for innocent individuals caught in automated policing systems.
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