A West Virginia man charged with cutting down Flock’s license-plate-reading cameras has been aggressively defended by a surprising source: a flood of Facebook commenters offering up fake alibis.
“Couldn’t have been him — we were out counting blades of grass,” said one of the 29,000 commenters on a post about the arrest from the local news station WDTV.
Others attested that the man, Wesley Jackson, had been helping them “replace the roof on a homeless shelter,” “playing halo 2,” “changing the tires” on their car or giving their “doggie a treat” at the time the cameras were destroyed.
The meme format, in which commenters jokingly defend someone accused of a crime they ostensibly support, has become popular on social media since Luigi Mangione’s 2024 arrest on charges that he killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Detectives with the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office charged Jackson last month with damage of equipment used by emergency responders and conspiracy to commit a felony.
Jackson pleaded not guilty and posted a $15,000 bond. His attorney and Flock did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Flock has faced public backlash because of concerns over its camera systems’ use in police surveillance.
The Washington Post reported Sunday that at least 50 police officers nationwide have misused the system to track their exes, girlfriends, wives and other people from their personal lives.
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