Conflict is brewing for protesters and the Chicago Police Department. The police of Chicago and protesters are at odds over an issue involving body cameras.
The incident involves a law enforcement officer’s body camera and the shooting of a teenage boy. That boy’s name was Paul O’Neal, and according to ABC news, the police superintendent is claiming the officer’s body camera wasn’t utilized because of training issues. He is claiming that the officer had only had the camera for a week and was not fully trained on how to use it. Protesters do not believe this and are stating that this could be a part of a cover-up by the police of the city.
Body cameras are very new to the area. Last year, one district of the city got them as part of a pilot project. Since then, 6 other districts got the cameras. This also includes the officers that shot O’Neal. A spokesperson from the department gave several reasons as to why the camera footage was not available. ABC News is also reporting that a lack of training along with the pressure from an airbag when the car accident took place could have been the reason the camera did not work. The O’Neal family and their lawyer are not happy with that reasoning.
O’Neil was being pursued by the police for an alleged robbery. He did not have a weapon at the time. Video footage shows officers shooting at a moving car that O’Neil was traveling in. This is against policy for the police of the city. The footage also shows the officers breaking other rules while making the arrest. New requirements also force the police department to make body camera footage public after 60 days. This rule came into play after the shooting of Laquan McDonald.
The superintendent of Chicago police is defending the claims made about the body cameras but has said that he does not support all of the actions the officers in the video took. He has also said that he has done what he can to “relieve the three officers of their police powers.”
Police shootings of unarmed suspects are happening constantly now. The people of the US are searching for ways to feel comfortable around police in their area. Body cameras are the solution to that problem. Cities and their police need to be sure everyone’s equipment is working at all times. They also need to be sure everyone has full training on how to use all of their tools. When this happens, the people of Chicago and the US will begin to feel safe again. Chicago police should learn from their mistakes. If they can do that, they can be an example for other cities of the nation.
