Buttigieg issues police body camera direction after South Bend shooting

[DonViejo]

Rebecca Falconer7 hours ago

South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigeig said in a statement on Tuesday he's directed police to turn on their body cameras when interacting with civilians after an officer-involved fatal shooting in the city.

Why it matters: The 2020 Democratic candidate left the campaign trail to address what's seen as a test of his leadership in his hometown after a white police officer shot Eric Logan, a 53-year-old African-American, per the South Bend Tribune, which notes Buttigieg is trying to appeal to black voters. He's seen his campaign soar in recent weeks, but a June poll shows nearly half of black Americans surveyed don't know him.

The big picture: The officer involved in Sunday's shooting, Sgt. Ryan O'Neill, alleged Logan had refused police commands to drop a knife, but investigators found he didn't have his body camera on at the time of the shooting, according to WSBT. The shooting wasn't recorded because he was driving without emergency lights while responding to a call about a suspicious person going through vehicles, investigators said, per AP.

What he's saying: Buttigeig said in his statement South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski issued a general order that officers should activate their body cameras during all work-related interactions with civilians, including during traffic stops and other non-emergency call responses "and any time there is civilian contact in relation to a complaint."

"In the wake of Sunday's shooting, we must acknowledge the hurt and honor the humanity of all involved in this loss of life. We also have a responsibility to take every step that can promote transparency and fairness, both in dealing with the recent incident and looking towards the future."

— Buttigeig statement

https://www.axios.com/buttigieg-south-bend-police-shooting-direction-163c4aa8-1ccc-4d5f-8a95-cf5bb930b3f9.html

[irisblue]

1. From the local paper, South Bend Tribune

https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/publicsafety/police-shooting-exposes-limits-of-south-bend-s-body-camera/article_bc7566e3-115e-5be1-a81f-512d9d7de0d3.html

snip--"SOUTH BEND — The fatal shooting Sunday by a South Bend police officer was the exact type of scenario in which footage from a body-worn camera could have helped sort out the facts.

Instead, the shooting exposed the limitations of the city’s body camera program, just a year after the South Bend Police Department issued the devices to all of its patrol officers at a cost of $1.5 million."

snip--"With a policy that gives officers discretion on when to use the cameras, and without technology to automatically start recording when an officer draws or fires their weapon, the city ended up with no footage of the confrontation between Sgt. Ryan O’Neill and Eric Logan, the 54-year-old man who was shot and killed after he allegedly approached the officer with a knife."

More at article.

[dsc]

7. that doesn't agree with what Buttigieg is saying in his statement

https://southbendin.gov/2019/06/18/south-bend-police-chief-issues-order-concerning-body-worn-cameras/

You are here: Home / Uncategorized / South Bend Police Chief Issues Order Concerning Body-Worn Cameras
SOUTH BEND POLICE CHIEF ISSUES ORDER CONCERNING BODY-WORN CAMERAS
June 18, 2019

At the request of Mayor Pete Buttigieg, today South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski issued the following general order confirming the City’s expectation that per the SBPD duty manual, all officers are to keep their body cameras activated when engaging with civilians:

“Officers should activate their body cameras during all work-related interactions with civilians.

This Order reminds all personnel of our Body Camera Activation Policy #424.6 and the expectation that all enforcement and investigative contacts, traffic stops (including back-up), field interviews, and self-initiated contacts shall be recorded.

This includes non-emergency call responses and any time there is civilian contact in relation to a complaint.

[irisblue]

8. The above article mentions the change

snip..."On Tuesday evening, Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s office announced the police chief had issued a new general order that “officers should activate their body cameras during all work-related interactions with civilians.”

[dsc]

10. It isn't a change according to the statement

You are here: Home / Uncategorized / South Bend Police Chief Issues Order Concerning Body-Worn Cameras
SOUTH BEND POLICE CHIEF ISSUES ORDER CONCERNING BODY-WORN CAMERAS
June 18, 2019

At the request of Mayor Pete Buttigieg, today South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski issued the following general order confirming the City’s expectation that per the SBPD duty manual, all officers are to keep their body cameras activated when engaging with civilians:

“Officers should activate their body cameras during all work-related interactions with civilians.

This Order reminds all personnel of our Body Camera Activation Policy #424.6 and the expectation that all enforcement and investigative contacts, traffic stops (including back-up), field interviews, and self-initiated contacts shall be recorded.

This includes non-emergency call responses and any time there is civilian contact in relation to a complaint.

One doesn't remind someone of something that is new.

[Lulu KC]

2. Why aren't the body cameras turned on? This keeps happening. n/t

[marehare]

5. Why aren't the body cameras turned on.

Mayor Pete is responsible for this shooting due to police not instructed to have cameras on all the time. He owns it.

[marylandblue]

11. See Post 10, the order just confirms what was already in the manual.

If the officer violated the manual, he should be terminated, and any criminal investigation handled by an investigator outside Pete's jurisdiction.

[Lulu KC]

13. Agreed. It just keeps happening--in different places

Rhetorical question, probably.
Another example: Why is the world so crazy?

[MrsCoffee]

3. Should be instant termination for not having your body cam on when you kill someone.

And face charges.

It’s not like the guy was ambushed. He was responding to a call.

This cop has a history of making racist remarks. It makes me livid that he goes home to sit around and collect a paycheck.

He should be in jail.

[marehare]

4. Buteigeig finally tells police to turn on cameras after shooting.

Pete failed his town by not having police have cameras on all the time during their shifts.
He failed his community by waiting until someone was shot to do so. What a stupid mistake. He's not ready for prime time in Washington at all. He needs to stay in his day job and manage his city rather than galivant all over the US.

[dsc]

12. according to his statement they were told before

You are here: Home / Uncategorized / South Bend Police Chief Issues Order Concerning Body-Worn Cameras
SOUTH BEND POLICE CHIEF ISSUES ORDER CONCERNING BODY-WORN CAMERAS
June 18, 2019

At the request of Mayor Pete Buttigieg, today South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski issued the following general order confirming the City’s expectation that per the SBPD duty manual, all officers are to keep their body cameras activated when engaging with civilians:

“Officers should activate their body cameras during all work-related interactions with civilians.

This Order reminds all personnel of our Body Camera Activation Policy #424.6 and the expectation that all enforcement and investigative contacts, traffic stops (including back-up), field interviews, and self-initiated contacts shall be recorded.

This includes non-emergency call responses and any time there is civilian contact in relation to a complaint.

One doesn't confirm or remind people of new things.

[RLG]

6. Now he's doing this?

Why did he wait so long?

[smooth64]

9. The Young Turks are

Going all in on the Mayor and not in a favorable way

[rogue emissary]

14. So this officer needs to be fired since he broke the regulations?

Really wish Pete would fire this officer for violating department regulations. Unfortunately, he seems to always side with his police department.