WHO TV 13 – by AARON BRILBECKDES MOINES, Iowa — President Obama is calling for more transparency in police departments with the use of police body cameras to record officers’ interaction with the public. But what happens when a police department refuses to turn over body-camera video, even though the law requires it?
Channel 13 has learned that earlier this year, a Nevada police officer drew his weapon on two kids playing with toy guns. The kids were not charged with a crime and the case is closed. The officer was wearing a body camera at the time, but the police chief will not release the video. He says that’s because the parents do not want it released.
The chief refused to be interviewed on camera, but released a video response on Facebook. “Aaron Brilbeck partially completed a request for information report for the same report. Director Martinez has taken the position not to release the body camera video recording honoring the request of the parents of the minor children involved,” Nevada Public Safety Director Ricardo Martinez II said.
The problem is, the law requires the release of information, regardless of whether parents want it released. The director of the Iowa Public Information Board says he does not believe there is an exception in Iowa law that allows the Chief to withhold this public information, and the board is investigating a complaint against Chief Martinez.
State Representative Ako Abdul-Samad says the video should be released. “A police officer comes up on them and has them laying on the ground at gunpoint, we need to see that. We need to know what was the decision,” Abdul-Samad says, “Why did the officer make that decision with two little kids?”
Abdul-Samad is drafting legislation that would require all police officers in the state who interact with the public to wear the cameras. But Abdul-Samad says he never thought about what would happen if a police chief refused to release the videos. After we showed him Chief Martinez’ video, he plans to re-work his legislation to include a mandate that the video be released to the public.
“It’s public information. That once a recording is made and it comes on then it has to be released,” Abdul-Samad said, “If the officer did everything proper, then why not release it? You know? Let’s remove all doubt.”
http://whotv.com/2014/12/12/nevada-police-refuse-to-release-video-of-officer-pulling-gun-on-kids/
“Director Martinez has taken the position not to release the body camera video recording honoring the request of the parents of the minor children involved,” Nevada Public Safety Director Ricardo Martinez II said.”
Sounds like departmental b.s. to me.
Why would ANY (sane) parent not WANT police brutality/misconduct perpetrated upon their kids shown to the public, in an attempt, at least, to curb further atrocities?
Our high court here ruled on this issue last week about cams and vidio. All police or citizen. Here with out a court order you must block out the face of the officer and the victoms. A exception would be the police have a vidio they need public to find a person and post it on T.V. and such as we want this person for this reason. Missing person or criminal. They also ruled the police can do nothing about you vidioing them,and nothing you can do about them vidioing you. Like they set up in a house across the street and vidio your home and you 24/7 nothing you can do. You vidio them on the street all they can do is smile and wave try to look good and such. But any time there is vidio Americans should consider any thing the police say as a pack of lies if they will not back there word and assume they are criminals on the hide from the law. Be open at that point to grounds forcitizen arrest on suspition of high crime.