Texas Police Used AI to Write Report About Using Flock to Search for Woman Who Had Abortion
404 Media Jason Koebler
Texas police used AI to draft a report on a woman they searched for with Flock after a self-managed abortion. It shows surveillance and AI tools are already tangled up in the most sensitive cases.
Based on reporting by 404 Media, Jason Koebler — read the original for the full story.
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A Texas sheriff’s office used Axon’s Draft One to help write a police report about a case where officers searched Flock’s camera network for a woman who had a self-administered abortion. Documents shared with 404 Media show the AI tool was used, in part, to summarize a discussion of the legal implications of the case.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office had already drawn scrutiny for using Flock to search more than 80,000 cameras nationwide for the woman’s whereabouts. 404 Media first reported the incident in May 2025, after saying the search had been used in a way that could criminalize or track women seeking reproductive healthcare. The report now adds another layer: the police department that ran the search also leaned on AI to write about it.
One section of the report says, “I acknowledge this report was generated using Draft One by Axon.” Another portion says deputies discussed the legal implications of the situation and concluded there were no criminal charges available under current Texas law. It also mentions the possibility of a civil lawsuit against the pharmaceutical company that supplied the pill. The report was obtained by journalist Cameron Probert of the Tri-City Herald and shared with 404 Media.
The sheriff’s office has repeatedly refused to release body camera footage from the case, even after public records requests from 404 Media and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Bethel’s report says there is body-worn camera footage, in-car camera footage, and digital images tied to the call, but the department has still not provided redacted versions of that evidence.
The case has become a flashpoint because Flock’s CEO, Garrett Langley, has pushed a version of events that 404 Media says is wrong, claiming the search was only about the woman’s safety because her family was worried. Earlier police records obtained by the EFF and shared with 404 Media said the investigation was done at the request of the woman’s abusive partner, and that officers discussed whether they could charge her. Leaked audio published by 404 Media shows Langley making the same safety claim to law enforcement customers even earlier this month.
My take — AI-written commentary, not fact-checked reporting
This is the part people keep missing: once police have both mass camera searches and AI report-writing, the paper trail gets easier to produce and harder to trust. That’s a lovely combo if the goal is speed; it’s a grim one if the goal is accountability. The selling pitch is “efficiency,” but the public gets the hangover.
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