Louisville police chief fired after no body camera footage of shooting

[Dennis Donovan]

https://www.wdrb.com/in-depth/louisville-police-chief-fired-after-no-body-camera-footage-of-shooting/article_faa2ba10-a443-11ea-9309-c39cfd65671a.html

Chris Otts Jun 1, 2020 Updated 24 min ago

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer fired police chief Steve Conrad on Monday after learning that police officers did not record body-camera footage of the fatal overnight shooting of David McAtee, a black man, in west Louisville.

"This type of institutional failure will not be tolerated," Fischer said.

This story will be updated.

</snip>

[samsingh]

1. i'm glad the police chief was fired

[RainCaster]

2. It's a start- all top officers should resign in disgrace

[AZ8theist]

3. Why should they??

When it's open season on "undesirables" in America.

Opportunity to shoot fellow citizens WITHOUT repercussion.....

[denem]

4. Exactly what Pete Buttigieg did not do

in the same circumstances in Southbend.

[FreeState]

9. No it wasn't - they were not required Apples and Oranges

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/buttigieg-s-lesson-police-body-cameras-help-only-if-they-n1019346

"The understandable anger over why our system of body-worn cameras did not lead to a clear picture of what happened Sunday is just a reminder of how much work has yet to be done, how much work it will take us to reinforce trust," Buttigieg said Wednesday at a ceremony for newly sworn police officers.

Buttigieg ─ whose strained relationship with African Americans in South Bend dates to his 2012 firing of the city's first black police chief ─ rushed home from the campaign trail after the shooting. On Tuesday night, he ordered police to activate their body cameras during all "work-related interactions with civilians."


https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/buttigieg-s-lesson-police-body-cameras-help-only-if-they-n1019346

Officers were required to wear active body cameras following the death of Breonna Taylor, 26, a black woman killed in her home in March by Louisville police while they served a “no-knock” warrant against the couple in an alleged drug case. Taylor’s family claimed in a wrongful death lawsuit that Taylor and her boyfriend believed their home was being broken into and shot at officers because they did not identify themselves.

[denem]

11. Issuing body cameras but not requiring them to be used is worse.

That's not an institutional failure, but an executive failure. The buck stops where?

[FreeState]

14. Keep moving those goal post n/t

[denem]

18. defend, deflect, distract

another black man dead with handwriting at the top. Who could possibly have imagined that a homicidal cop would choose not to turn his body cam on? The police chief? The mayor? Pete is one of ours. Don't ask.

[FreeState]

19. No your shifting the goals

It was exactly like what happened in South bend until I pointed out it wasn't policy. Do you know why it wasn't policy? Are you even interested in that or are you just interested in attacking a Democrat?

When the cameras were purchased the rules stated they only turn on AUTOMATICALLY under certain circumstances, that's why Pete ordered them to turn them on in the future. This is an issue in a ton of cities and to try and switch the goals talking about the topic helps no one.

[denem]

21. June 27 debate

SWALWELL: If the camera wasn’t on and that was the policy, you should fire the chief.

BUTTIGIEG: So under Indiana law, this will be investigated, and there will be accountability for the officer involved.

SWALWELL: But you are the mayor. You should fire the chief — if that’s the policy and someone died.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/6/27/18935564/pete-buttigieg-south-bend-shooting-racism-democratic-debate

there will be accountability for the officer involved

South Bend Officer Will Not Be Charged in Shooting Death of Black Resident

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/06/us/south-bend-police-ryan-o-neill.html

Police Chief instructed recording of telephone conversations - sacked
Police Chief failed to instruct recording of civilian/police incidents - kept his job

The buck stops where?

[cstanleytech]

20. This is to both of you but please let's not bicker. Rather keep in mind that

the vast majority of our people in office including Pete are better than just about any Republican.

[crickets]

5. Good. There was no excuse for those cameras to be off. nt

[Volaris]

6. There shouldn't even be a way for cops to turn them off, afaic...

Since we the taxpayers paid for them in the first place, and did so because we clearly thought there was a need to hold these people responsible for their professional actions on our behalf..

Why in the hell would you want one with an off switch in the first place?

[crickets]

8. Good point. nt

[CaptainTruth]

10. No off switch? Cue the "Cops going to the bathroom" channel on YouTube

[RainCaster]

7. Every officer who was on that night and had no camera footage should be knocked down a rank...

... and have a letter of reprimand in their record.

Should also have a 15% cut in salary. Maybe more.

[enki23]

12. Fuck that. Should be fired, blackballed, and if at all possible imprisoned.

.

[RainCaster]

15. As much as I would like to see that, it would cut the Louisville PD too much

Let the sumbitches quit on their own and go to work at a McDonalds somewhere.

[FakeNoose]

13. It's easier to say...

... "there's no tape of the incident," than to say "Well there was a tape and it's obvious we screwed up. Whoops!"

Until now these guys were getting away with it, but the Mayor called them on it.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

16. Clean the fucking racist house!

[orleans]

17. here's more from another link

Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad has been relieved of duty after it was revealed that the officers involved in a shooting that killed a local business owner early Monday did not activate their body cameras.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced the decision to relieve Conrad during a Monday afternoon press conference, where the deceased was identified as David McAtee. Conrad was set to retire later this month.

“David was a friend to many, a well known barbecue man that nurtured so many people in their bellies and their hearts before," Fischer said of the victim. "And for him to be caught up in this, for him to not be here with us is a tragedy. It’s just hard to put into words.”

The two officers involved, who were either not wearing or did not have their cameras activated, have been placed on administrative leave. It's unclear whether the fatal shot was fired by law enforcement or a separate individual, active Chief Rob Schroeder said Monday.

"We are working diligently to determine what happened, the community has a lot of questions and we share those same questions," Schroeder said.

Other audio and video from the incident will be released, officials said.

Louisville officers and the National Guard were sent to a parking lot to break up a crowd at around around 12:15 a.m., according to a statement Conrad gave earlier Monday. He said officers were “shot at” at some point while trying to clear the area and returned fire, leaving one person dead.

(a bit more at link)
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/louisville-police-chief-fired-after-officer-bodycams-found-be-during-n1221351