Kentucky officer arrested for stalking ex-girlfriend over 2,000 times using Flock license plate reader

Shively, Kentucky police officer Asad Zahir faces charges after allegedly misusing a Flock Safety license plate reader system to stalk his ex-girlfriend, the mother of his child. Court records indicate Zahir conducted 2,048 Flock searches between January and May to monitor two vehicles registered to the woman in Kentucky and Indiana.

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The Flock camera works. When it’s used properly it works. There are tons of stats that show it works.

During this period, Zahir reportedly harassed the victim and made threatening comments, leading her to file an order of protection against him. Investigators found that 241 of the Flock searches occurred while this order was in place, between April 17 and May 6. Zahir, who has been with the department since 2022, listed the reason for his tracking as a drug or narcotics investigation.

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It’s a very effective tool and we don’t want to be judged on the poor decisions made by one officer.

Officials stated at a news conference that the targeted woman was not the subject of any such investigation and has no history indicating any violations. Shively Police Chief Andre Bottoms announced Zahir's arrest, noting that charging an officer is personally difficult but that accountability is paramount. Zahir has been suspended without pay pending the investigation.

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Charging this officer was not pleasant. It was a gut punch for me personally.

Bottoms highlighted that the Flock camera system itself is effective when used properly, attributing the incident to the "poor decisions made by one officer." Flock Safety reportedly introduced a new audit assistance tool that flags abnormal use by officers, which helped identify Zahir's alleged activity. Zahir was arrested and released on his own recognizance, with a court appearance scheduled.

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Accountability cannot depend on who you are and what position you hold or what badge you’re wearing.