Flock cameras get it wrong: Virginia mother loses her car after police mistake her vehicle for shooting suspect’s

A Richmond, Virginia, mother says a police investigation turned her life upside down after officers allegedly used flock cameras to mistakenly connected her vehicle to a shooting.

Rosalyn Crump was asleep at home when officers arrived shortly before 2 a.m. on July 29. Police believed her 2012 Hyundai Elantra was connected to a shooting. They relied on information from Flock Safety automated license plate readers to identify the vehicle.

Crump immediately disputed their findings. She repeatedly told officers they had the wrong car. She explained where she had been and insisted her vehicle had nothing to do with the shooting.

Her pleas did not stop the tow truck.

Officers ordered Seibert’s Towing to remove her Hyundai. Crump suddenly found herself caught in a criminal investigation she said had nothing to do with her. What followed was a chain of events that left her without a vehicle, disrupted her employment and created serious financial hardship for her family.

Even after police located the actual suspect and released her car, the ordeal was far from over. Crump says the vehicle sustained extensive damage during the towing process. An insurance company eventually declared it a total loss.

Police Ignore Crump’s Warnings as Flock Camera Data Drives Investigation

According to WWBT 12 On Your Side, the incident began on Sussex Street in Richmond. Investigators believed Crump’s Hyundai matched a vehicle connected to a shooting.

However, Crump told officers that she had spent the day at her mother’s home. She returned around 4 p.m. and was home in time for her children’s school bus.

Police body-camera footage obtained by WWBT captured the encounter. Officers examined the Hyundai with flashlights while discussing the information from the Flock cameras.

One officer appeared uncertain about the vehicle’s identity.

“I don’t know, man. This doesn’t,” the officer said.

Another officer told Crump that camera data contradicted the route she described.

Nevertheless, officers proceeded with the tow. Crump watched as Seibert’s Towing removed her vehicle.

For a mother responsible for her family, losing transportation meant more than losing access to a car. It threatened her ability to work, care for her children and maintain everyday stability.

Police Find the Actual Suspect, but Crump’s Ordeal Continues

Crump said police released her Hyundai approximately four hours after towing it. Investigators had located the actual suspect and determined her vehicle was not involved.

Yet she says nobody immediately informed her.

According to Crump, she did not learn that police had released the car until approximately four days later, during a phone call.

Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards later addressed the incident in an interview with WWBT. He acknowledged that investigators had identified the wrong vehicle.

Edwards explained that investigators initially encountered another vehicle with the same make and model. However, police later reviewed video of the actual shooting.

That footage showed a vehicle with a different model year and color.

Edwards also said some cameras had been offline during the investigation.

The chief maintained that officers believed they had probable cause based on the information available at the time. He described towing the vehicle as standard procedure.

However, he apologized for the damage Crump discovered. He also acknowledged that she had done nothing wrong.

For Crump, that acknowledgment did not undo the damage or restore the transportation she had lost.

Towing Company Acknowledges Damage, but Car Is Declared a Total Loss

The problems continued when Crump went to retrieve her Hyundai.

She said the vehicle had sustained significant damage during the towing process. She also questioned why no one warned her about the damage before she signed paperwork.

Roslyn Crump’s vehicle (GoFundMe)

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According to an email exchange reported by WWBT, Seibert’s Towing’s vice president acknowledged responsibility for damage caused during the tow.

“If we damage a vehicle, we make it right,” the vice president wrote.

The company initially discussed paying for repairs directly or submitting the claim to its insurance company.

However, Crump rejected the company’s offer to handle the repairs. She wanted an independent inspection.

Seibert’s representative, Lawson, disputed parts of her account. He said the paperwork was a routine lot-entry form, not a release.

He acknowledged that the front-desk employee did not mention the damage. However, he said an operations manager later escorted Crump to the vehicle and informed her about it.

Lawson also stated that the company would not accept responsibility for neglected maintenance on a 14-year-old vehicle.

Eventually, Seibert’s referred the matter to its insurance company at Crump’s request. The insurer determined the Hyundai was a total loss because repair costs exceeded its value, Lawson said.

Crump also told WWBT that an independent inspection reached the same conclusion.

The vehicle that police had mistakenly seized was now effectively gone from her family’s daily life.

Crump Loses Transportation, Income and Financial Stability

The consequences reached far beyond the damaged Hyundai.

Crump said losing her vehicle affected her ability to get to work. She also faced the challenge of arranging transportation for her children and meeting household responsibilities.

“I lost wages. My job right now is in jeopardy because I’m not able to get to work on time,” Crump told WWBT.

Meanwhile, rental transportation created another financial burden. Instead of using her money for household needs, she had to pay out of pocket to keep her family moving.

The experience left her trying to recover from circumstances she says she never should have faced.

GoFundMe Campaign Seeks Help for Crump and Her Three Sons

With transportation and financial stability disrupted, Crump launched a GoFundMe campaign titled “Help Rosalyn & Her 3 Boys Rebuild Safety and Transportation.”

The fundraiser seeks donations to help cover rental transportation, replacement vehicle expenses and relocation costs.

Additionally, she hopes to relocate her family to a safer neighborhood. The fundraiser describes ongoing safety concerns in their current community.

In an update, Crump expressed gratitude for people who listened to her story and offered support.

“To finally feel like my story is being heard, that people are listening, and that I am not standing alone in this has allowed me to finally exhale,” she wrote.

She also said securing a rental vehicle helped her resume some daily responsibilities.

To learn more about the fundraiser, visit the verified GoFundMe.

Flock Cameras Raise Questions About Accuracy and Police Accountability

Crump’s experience has intensified concerns about how police departments use automated license plate readers.

Flock Safety cameras photograph passing vehicles and capture license plate information. Police agencies can search the collected data during criminal investigations.

Departments use the technology to investigate shootings, locate stolen vehicles and identify suspects. However, critics have raised concerns about privacy, accuracy, data access and the consequences of incorrect vehicle matches.

Crump’s case illustrates the human consequences when automated surveillance information leads investigators toward the wrong vehicle.