--- title: "Man Arrested After Allegedly Shooting Flaming Projectile at Flock Cameras, Melting Them Into Slag" description: "A Georgia man has been accused of vandalizing four Flock ALPRs, three of which were melted into heaps of plastic." date: "2026-09-07" modified: "2026-09-07" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins.md" url: "https://futurism.com/future-society/flock-alpr-arrest-flaming-projectile-melt-slag" categories: - "Future Society" - "Privacy" --- # Man Arrested After Allegedly Shooting Flaming Projectile at Flock Cameras, Melting Them Into Slag ![A Flock camera is shown against a gray sky.]() *Shutterstock / Matt Gush* A man is facing numerous felony charges in Georgia after police allege he allegedly used a bizarre projectile to melt automatic license plate readers into smoldering heaps of metal and plastic. According [to *Fox5* in Atlanta](), 25-year-old Colby Williams was hauled into jail after allegedly setting fire to three automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) installed by the [extremely controversial]() company Flock. Though it isn't known how the fires started, at least one camera was found "completely melted," and had a "DeFlock" sticker slapped onto what remained of the pole. A fourth camera nearby was reportedly found with two bullet holes, the news channel reported. Ironically, Williams was arrest using video captured from the ALPRs, which picked up a vehicle registered under his name. Williams is now being charged with four counts of criminal damage to property and four counts of arson, as well as reckless conduct and interference with government property — though Flock operates using a model known as "hardware-as-a-service," meaning its ALPRs are only rented, not owned by police agencies. The use of fire to disable Flock ALPRs is a new one, as far as we can tell. So far, anti-surveillance vigilantes have mostly resorted to using tools like [hand saws]() and [power drills](), or barring that, [spray paint](). On social media, supporters further fanned the flames, expressing support for Williams and blasting the police department for deploying the devices in the first place. "What it boils down to is this, either y'all can take them down or somebody will!" one Facebook user declared under [*Fox5*'s post]() about the arrest. Another commenter made an appeal to patriotism: "it wasn't him, he was at the library rereading the Constitution!" **More on Flock:** *[Flock's Network Is Losing Value to Cops as More and More of Its Cameras Go Offline]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()