Video recorded by a teenage bystander, as well as the other officers′ body cameras, was key in convicting Chauvin of murder.ĭuring the 2019 arrest of Elijah McClain, a Black man who died after officers confronted him in suburban Denver, the body cameras of all three officers came off during a struggle. In that case, Derek Chauvin’s body camera fell off as he and other Minneapolis police officers struggled with Floyd, who was Black. In the May 2020 killing of George Floyd, bystander video was crucial in bringing attention to and documenting what happened. Sam Walker, a retired professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha, called the camera’s deactivation “suspicious” and said it must be investigated. Michelle Gross, a Minnesota activist for police accountability and president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, was among those who doubted that the officer’s camera was accidentally turned off, citing the recessed button.Īn expert in police accountability issues agreed. Officers tap the button twice to record and hold it down for three seconds to turn it off.Īxon said it remains “committed to developing technology and training for public safety” but declined to comment further, citing the investigation. The Axon Body 3 camera used by Grand Rapids police has a large circular button on the front surrounded by a ridge, so the button is slightly recessed. White couldn’t think of another case in which an officer’s camera was unintentionally turned off during a struggle.īut cameras are sometimes knocked off officers’ uniforms. Department of Justice Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program. And I’m sure turning the camera off would’ve been the least of his concerns,” said Michael White, a professor at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University and co-director of training and technical assistance for the U.S. “That officer, he is in a full-on struggle with that citizen. One body camera expert said it appeared to have been unintentional. He said the button was hit many times during the struggle in this case, but at the point the screen went dark “that was the first moment that it was held down for more than three seconds. Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom said officers have to hold a button on the camera for three seconds to turn it off. Other cameras in the system worked, however, and provided critical evidence.
In the recent Brooklyn subway attack, computer system problems kept authorities from either recording or viewing footage on security cameras in the station where the subway train stopped after Frank James allegedly opened fire. Official sources can have limitations for a variety of reasons, such as the limited view of the dashcam in the Grand Rapids incident, or the fixed viewpoint of a surveillance camera. Police dashcam captured some audio but no images of the shooting. At one point, Lyoya has his hand on the officer’s stun gun, and the officer yells at him to let go. It shows Lyoya’s attempt to run away and a struggle as the officer repeatedly tells him to stop.
#Moment camera license#
The officer was on top of Lyoya, who was facedown on the ground, when he shot the 26-year-old Congolese refugee in the head April 4.īody camera video released by police this week shows the initial stop, and the officer saying the car’s license plate wasn’t registered to the vehicle.
READ MORE: Protests erupt in Michigan after a Black man is killed by police during a traffic stop “Keep videoing the police because transparency is important for them and it’s sure important for us,” said Ben Crump, an attorney for Lyoya’s family. The shooting was captured by Lyoya’s passenger, with a cellphone, and a doorbell camera across the street. Regardless, Lyoya’s family and their attorneys say it shows the importance of citizen video. One expert said vendors could make changes to avoid accidental camera deactivations, though it’s not clear that is what happened in Lyoya’s case, and some activists said an accident seems unlikely.
It’s the latest high-profile case in which body cameras - touted as tools to hold police accountable - have failed, leaving prosecutors and the public to rely on bystander video for a clearer picture of what happened. Body camera footage of Patrick Lyoya’s fatal encounter with a Michigan police officer shows a close-up view of an intense struggle, but the video goes dark 42 seconds before the officer shoots the Black man in the head.
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