A West Virginia man is at the center of an unusual online phenomenon after being charged with vandalizing license-plate-reading cameras. Tens of thousands of Facebook commenters have humorously defended him by creating fake alibis.
The suspect allegedly damaged the cameras operated by Flock Safety, a company providing automated license plate recognition services. Following the arrest, a post by local news station WDTV attracted over 29,000 comments. The remarks are characterized by humor and solidarity, with one user jokingly stating, “Couldn’t have been him — we were out counting blades of grass.”
Flock cameras, such as those monitoring vehicles at Ohio State University, aim to enhance security by tracking incoming and outgoing traffic in real-time. Despite the serious nature of these charges, the widespread online support adds an unexpected twist to the ongoing investigation.