A former Amarillo police officer has been charged with 78 counts of tampering with a government record after an investigation found he allegedly used law enforcement databases dozens of times to search for information about a person for reasons unrelated to police work.
The Potter County Attorney’s Office accepted a criminal complaint against former Amarillo Police Department Officer Christian Eder on Aug. 31. Eder was fired by APD on July 17 following a separate internal administrative investigation into his conduct.
According to APD, the criminal complaint alleges Eder used the department’s Flock Safety camera system 76 times between February and June 2026 to search for the license plate of the victim’s vehicle.
Investigators also found Eder searched for the victim by name twice on April 22 using TLOxp, an investigative database that allows authorities to find and connect information from multiple records and databases. The system can provide investigators with information about people, addresses, phone numbers, vehicles and businesses.
Police said an examination of the victim’s history with APD found no calls, cases or assignments involving the victim or the vehicle that would have justified Eder’s searches.
According to police, the reasons Eder entered into the Flock and TLOxp systems also did not correspond with any police involvement involving the victim.
The 76 Flock searches and two TLOxp searches resulted in the 78 counts of tampering with a government record. Each count is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $4,000 or both.
Flock Safety cameras are automated license plate readers that capture images of vehicles and their license plates. Law enforcement agencies can use the system to search for vehicles and receive alerts involving stolen vehicles and other law enforcement matters. APD said the cameras do not use facial-recognition technology.
The investigation into Eder began after APD received a citizen complaint in June. Police said the resulting internal investigation determined Eder had improperly used department resources.
The department then opened a criminal investigation and referred the findings to the Potter County Attorney’s Office for consideration of charges.
Eder was terminated July 17 based on the findings of APD’s administrative investigation. However, the department did not publicly announce his termination until 33 days later.
APD stressed that the administrative investigation that led to Eder’s firing is separate from the criminal allegations now moving through the judicial process.
Police Chief Thomas Hover said Eder’s alleged conduct represented a misuse of access officers are given to sensitive criminal justice information.
“I am deeply frustrated and disappointed by Officer Eder’s decision to use his access to criminal justice information for a personal purpose and then be dishonest in an attempt to conceal his actions,” Hover said. “Law enforcement officers are entrusted with access to sensitive information for legitimate criminal justice purposes, and that trust comes with a responsibility that cannot be taken lightly.”
Hover said the department has implemented additional safeguards following the investigation in an effort to reduce the likelihood of similar misuse.
Those measures include increased supervisory review of searches conducted by officers, expanded auditing capabilities designed to identify potential misuse, reduced access to certain software and shorter data-retention periods.
“Integrity and credibility are fundamental to this profession and to the trust our community places in us,” Hover said. “Based on the findings of the investigation, I made the decision to terminate Officer Eder and refer the matter to the Potter County Attorney’s Office for consideration of criminal charges.”
Eder joined the Amarillo Police Department in July 2022. He began his law enforcement career in 2019 as a jailer with the Randall County Sheriff’s Office.
The criminal complaint marks the latest development in a case that began with the citizen complaint in June and ultimately led to Eder’s firing, a criminal investigation and the referral to county prosecutors.
The allegations also raise questions about how officers’ use of law enforcement databases is monitored and what controls are in place when police have access to systems capable of locating vehicles or retrieving personal information.
