Investigator In Flock Stalking Case Now Charged With Felony Misuse of System
Detective Tehrangi Chapman is charged with felony misconduct and misuse of GPS tracking technology.
Milwaukee Police Department officer pulls over a vehicle on N. 12th Ln. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
One of the primary investigators in a case of a Milwaukee Police Department officer’s use of the Flock license plate-reading system to stalk an individual has now been criminally charged with his own alleged use of the system to improperly track two individuals.
Tehrangi Chapman, a detective with the Internal Affairs Division, has been charged with felony misconduct in public office and misdemeanor misuse of a GPS device. The felony charge has a maximum penalty of three years and six months in prison and a $10,000 fine. The misdemeanor charge could result in nine months in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The charges come after officer Josue Ayala was charged in February with searching the system more than 100 times to track the location of a former romantic partner and another individual. Ayala pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor misconduct in public office charge. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 13.
Chapman, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday, is alleged to have used MPD’s network of Flock license plate-reading cameras to track the locations of two individuals a combined 20 times between January 2024 and January 2025, in violation of MPD policy. He also installed a GPS tracking device, without consent, on the vehicle of one of the victims in 2024. The individual, identified as Victim Four in the criminal complaint, later discovered the device and confronted Chapman.
Chapman, in a system log, wrote that his Flock queries were for “training” or a “test.”
Victim Four attempted to make an anonymous report to MPD about their concerns with Chapman and his suspected stalking on Feb. 5. MPD later turned the investigation over to the District Attorney’s Office due to Chapman’s role in investigating Ayala.
“Victim Four was visibly shaken by the investigation into Detective Chapman and was upset that Victim Four’s identity was discovered during the investigation,” said the complaint, authored by Matthew J. Torbenson, deputy district attorney.
The complaint does not suggest a relationship between Chapman and victims three and four, nor whether victims three and four are themselves related. The complaint does not indicate if investigators ever met with victim three. Victims one and two in the complaint are the victims of Ayala, who Chapman is said to have spoken with during his investigation.
Chapman, 51, has been with MPD for 22 years.
His initial appearance is scheduled for July 17. He is being represented by attorney Michael F. Hart.
The charges were previously foreshadowed by the department.
In May, MPD Chief of Staff Heather Hough told the Fire & Police Commission in open session that an investigation was pending, but said she could not disclose additional information at the time.
According to a statement from MPD, Chapman has been suspended with pay since March 13. The department said it forwarded information about the alleged crime to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office the same day.
“No one is above the law. We expect all members of this department—both sworn officers and professional staff—to uphold the highest ethical standards. We will continue to take decisive action to preserve public trust and honor the values of this organization,” said Chief Jeffrey Norman in a statement.
The latest charge comes as communities across Wisconsin and the country are halting their use of the Flock camera technology, which can track vehicle movements by photographing and processing license plates. MPD, in May, maintained the technology is valuable, and it will continue to use it, but instituted a statistical audit system and reduced the number of individuals who have access to the system.
MPD has used the Flock system since 2022 and currently operates 31 cameras citywide. Department officials say the cameras have aided investigations ranging from reckless driving and street takeovers to violent crimes. The department also has license plate readers mounted on a number of patrol vehicles.
The Flock cameras, according to the department, are not video enabled and all are pointed at roadways.
“Used correctly, [the cameras] are a valuable tool and this department will not back away from that position,” said Hough.
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