Federal suit alleges Waukesha County deputies ran 100+ Flock searches on complainant's plate

Event: May 4, 2025 · First reported: August 28, 2026 · 1 source

Sussex resident Napoleon Jones is suing the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office in federal court, alleging deputies retaliated against him after he filed a citizen complaint over a May 4, 2025 arrest that internal records indicate was not a legal traffic stop. His attorney says department records show his license plate was searched in the agency's Flock Safety database more than 100 times, including by the deputy who was the subject of the complaint. In depositions obtained by TMJ4, Deputy Brandon Shayhorn said he was ordered to run the searches by Lt. Cory Farrell, and Capt. Lisa Panas said she also searched the plate as part of the internal investigation. The sheriff's office, the deputies' union and the county executive all declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.

Why this matters

The case tests whether ALPR audit logs can document alleged misuse of surveillance tools against a person exercising First Amendment rights, and raises questions about internal controls when the officer under investigation is asked to help gather evidence.

Key facts

Jones was held about five hours and released with no citations or criminal charges; internal documents state the deputy was advised the stop was not legal because the lot was private property.
A Flock image of Jones' vehicle appeared in the sheriff's response to his complaint, captured roughly three weeks after the stop and two miles from the arrest site.
Attorney Nate Cade says records show department members searched Jones' plate more than 100 times.
The agency's Flock policy bars use of the data except for legitimate law enforcement purposes.
Capt. Panas testified she would not normally allow a deputy who is the subject of a complaint to participate in the investigation and said she did not know why Shayhorn was involved; Lt. Farrell has not yet testified and declined to comment.
Allegations in the amended federal complaint have not been proven; Flock Safety had not responded to TMJ4's interview requests.

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

LAWSUIT: Waukesha County man gets 'Flocked' by sheriff’s dept. after filing complaint against deputy (TMJ4 News, August 28, 2026)

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About this record

BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.

Updated August 30, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.