Colorado woman was accused of stealing by sergeant who said he’d been watching her movements for a month. She is now suing both him and Flock Safety

Colorado woman Chrisanna Elser has filed a federal lawsuit against Sgt. Jamie Milliman, the towns of Columbine Valley and Bow Mar, Police Chief Bret Cottrell, and Flock Safety following an incident where she was mistakenly accused of package theft, ABC News reported. The legal action, filed on Monday, claims negligence, invasion of privacy, and unlawful search after Elser was hit with a criminal summons that was later voided when she provided evidence of her innocence.

The trouble began on September 27, 2025, when Sgt. Milliman arrived at Elser’s home to issue a summons for a 25 dollar package theft. During the encounter, which was captured on both body camera and Elser’s own doorbell camera, the sergeant claimed he had been tracking her Rivian truck for an entire month.

Milliman appeared convinced of her guilt, telling her, “We have cameras throughout the town you can’t take a breath of fresh air in or out without us knowing.” He further asserted, “I have you on camera, you, taking a package,” and told the couple, “I wouldn’t come here if I weren’t 100% sure.”

Elser repeatedly denied the allegations

Elser, who works as a financial planning quality assurance specialist, offered to provide location data from her phone and cameras from her truck. Milliman refused to look at the evidence at the time, telling her, “If you’re just going to deny it, I’m not going to extend it any courtesy. If you’re going to lie to me, I’m not going to extend it any courtesy.”

She later produced documentation proving she was actually at a tailor being fitted for a gown during the theft. Additionally, the lawsuit notes that footage of the actual suspect, which was posted on Nextdoor, showed a woman who did not resemble Elser.

The summons was officially voided on October 15, 2025, but the lawsuit claims the police department ignored her requests to see the evidence Milliman touted. While the town administrator eventually noted that the sergeant had a “reasonable belief” in his actions, Police Chief Bret Cottrell sent a letter on November 11, 2025, admonishing the officer.

The letter cited “rude behavior, a dismissive attitude, and an unwillingness to de-escalate,” and mandated additional training. Notably, the lawsuit points out that this discipline did not address the sergeant’s alleged misuse of the Flock system.

The lawsuit takes a firm stance against the technology involved, accusing Flock Safety of creating a “detailed mosaic” of Elser’s private movements. Elser expressed her concern regarding the lack of transparency, stating, “I had no idea the Flock cameras existed and no idea a private company was keeping a record of every time I drove past my own neighborhood, or that any officer could pull it up without asking anyone or giving a reason for doing so.”

In response to the filing, Flock Safety spokesman Paris Lewbel defended the company’s tech. He stated that the system “accurately identified the location of Ms. Elser’s vehicle,” and argued that the responsibility for interpreting that data falls on law enforcement. The company plans to defend itself against the lawsuit.

As for Elser, the ordeal has left a lasting impact on her perspective, as she noted, “The scariest part is what happened to me can happen to anyone.”