Police department fires an officer after a citizen complaint about searches
The Amarillo Police Department fires an officer for inappropriate use of department resources after a citizen complaint and an internal investigation, and refers the matter to Potter County prosecutors. The firing was made public on August 31, 2026.[1][2]
The police department fired the officer on July 17, 2026 for inappropriate use of department resources after a citizen complaint and an internal investigation found no department case or assignment that would justify his searches.
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✓ Verified
Thomas Hover, Police Chief: The searches came to light through a complaint from the man who was searched, not through internal monitoring. Chief Hover said such searches do not raise red flags unless the stated reason is false, and ABC 7 reported that Flock's AI flags repeated searches of the same plate but did not flag these until a week or two before the hearing.
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