A former Amarillo, Texas, police officer allegedly weaponized the city’s surveillance system to track a local father dozens of times after developing a personal interest in a female officer the man had previously dated.
Christian Eder, 29, was fired from the Amarillo Police Department on July 17 after an internal investigation found that he allegedly misused law-enforcement databases for personal purposes. He now faces 78 counts of tampering with a government record, ABC 7 Amarillo reported.
According to NewsChannel 10, an internal audit found Eder searched the father’s license plate through the city’s Flock automated license plate reader system 76 times between February and June 2026.
He also allegedly searched the man’s name twice through TLOxp, a law-enforcement database containing information such as addresses, phone numbers, vehicles, and businesses.
Investigators reportedly found no police calls, cases, or assignments that would have justified the searches. Eder allegedly entered false explanations, including “city planning,” while dozens of other searches were reportedly marked with the reason “want.”
The father, who spoke anonymously, said Eder became interested in him after pursuing a female APD officer whom the man had previously dated.
The victim said he later learned Eder had allegedly been using a department-issued phone to monitor the female officer’s active patrol-car and body-camera feeds.
The father became suspicious after seeing Eder’s marked patrol vehicle slowly driving through his apartment parking lot at approximately 1 a.m.
He said the female officer later told him Eder claimed to have seen him leaving his apartment at that exact time.
The man eventually contacted Eder directly and asked him to stop. According to the report, Eder responded with a dismissive message beginning, “lol, tough guy.”
The father said he would have immediately gone to Internal Affairs had he known his vehicle was being tracked through Flock. Instead, he feared that confronting Eder could make the situation more dangerous.
Because Eder reportedly had tactical training and served as a SWAT alternate, the father said he became terrified for his family’s safety.
“I’ve had to change where my kids sleep in my house,” the father told NewsChannel 10.
He also said he changed his daily routines and asked investigators for descriptions of Eder’s personal vehicles so he could watch for them.
His request was reportedly denied, even though Eder allegedly had access to sensitive information about him and his family.
The most shocking part of the case may be the charges.
Prosecutors declined to pursue felony stalking charges, according to NewsChannel 10. Instead, Eder faces 78 Class A misdemeanor counts of tampering with a government record. Each count carries a possible sentence of up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
Eder turned himself in and was released on a single $4,500 bond covering all 78 charges. The bond is a pretrial release condition, not a criminal fine or sentence.
The case also exposed serious oversight failures within the department. Before the investigation, officers could reportedly access Flock software from work phones while off duty, without automatic alerts flagging excessive searches.
Police Chief Thomas Hover said he was “deeply frustrated and disappointed” that Eder allegedly used criminal-justice information for personal reasons.
APD has since announced plans for increased supervisory review, expanded audits, reduced software access, and shorter data-retention periods.
But those changes came only after a father said his family’s life had been turned upside down.
The Gateway Pundit previously reported on a South Carolina officer who was fired after allegedly using Flock cameras 166 times to track a former romantic partner.
TGP also recently reported that President Donald Trump supports Flock cameras for law enforcement while acknowledging that critics view the technology as a possible invasion of privacy.
Flock cameras may help police locate stolen vehicles and dangerous suspects. But when officers use those systems to pursue romantic interests, intimidate private citizens, or monitor families without a legitimate law-enforcement purpose, the technology becomes a tool for abuse.
A father should never have to rearrange where his children sleep because a police officer allegedly decided to use taxpayer-funded surveillance equipment as his personal stalking device.
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