Lawyer says body cam video shows LAPD officer planting drugs (2017)
apnews.com

... Los Angeles police launched an internal investigation Friday after an attorney released body camera video that he says shows an officer planting cocaine in his client's wallet during an arrest.

The video was taken during an arrest in April when officers stopped Ronald Shields, 52, who they suspected had been involved in a hit-and-run crash.

It appears to show an officer standing beside Shields, who is in handcuffs, as another officer leans down and picks up a small baggie filled with white powder -- which later tested positive for cocaine -- that is on the ground. The officer who picked up the baggie then motions to the second officer, points to Shield's wallet in his hand and appears to place the baggie in the wallet.

The officer then turns on his body camera, but the cameras automatically save the previous 30 seconds when they are switched on. ...

LIST: These new Connecticut laws go into effect Oct. 1
www.wtnh.com

... Law enforcement officers must not pause their body cameras during interactions with the public

Law enforcement officers must not pause their body cameras during interactions with the public. According to the new law, officers can deactivate their body cameras "if they determine that under the circumstances, the investigation could be significantly hampered by continuing to record." ...

Baltimore Police Caught Planting Drugs In Body-Cam Footage, Public Defender Says (2017)
www.npr.org

... A Baltimore man was held in jail for months after police found a stash of drugs " but the officer who found the drugs also seems to be the one who hid them in that spot, according to footage from his body camera. The public defender's office says the man is now free and it is questioning the officer's involvement in 53 active cases.

The officer has been suspended and two of his colleagues are on administrative duty, Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said, as the agency's internal affairs unit looks at the case.

The recording is from the afternoon of Jan. 24, when the officer, Richard Pinheiro, was standing in the trash-strewn backyard of a row house along with two other officers. At the start of the footage, Pinheiro is seen holding a soup can with a clear plastic bag stuffed into it. He then places the can among rubbish, before leading the other officers out of the narrow access alley.

On the sidewalk, Pinheiro activates his body-cam -- apparently unaware that the device would also preserve his earlier actions.

"Police cameras have a feature that saves the 30 seconds of video before activation, but without audio," The Baltimore Sun reports.

"I'm gonna go check here, hold on," the officer tells his colleagues, walking back to the property " and seeming to spark laughter from his fellow officers. After a "search" that lasts about 15 seconds, he picks up the soup can, pulls out the plastic bag and displays it to the camera, showing that it's holding white capsules. ...

Twenty years ago, YouTuber 'would be dead,' Danbury cop says in body cam video (2021)
www.newstimes.com

... Newly released footage from the Danbury Police Department gives further insight into police officers' response to a man recording video inside the city's library and City Hall, including the suggestion from one officer that the man "would be dead" had the incident occurred years ago.

The new footage, in addition to reports connected to multiple incidents involving the man, comes as Danbury police officials work to conclude their internal investigation into the matter.

The 15 videos with hours of body camera footage released this past week to Hearst Connecticut Media through a Freedom of Information Act request are similar to the videos SeanPaul Reyes has posted on his YouTube channel. His channel, Long Island Audit, includes incidents recorded last month at the Danbury Library and this month at City Hall in which he claims to exercise his First Amendment rights to film in public spaces.

An internal police investigation was opened following the library incident that occurred in early June. Friday, Chief Patrick Ridenhour said the initial investigation is in its final stages, as a hearing is pending "and a decision on what, if any further action should be taken."

"It revealed some violations of our policies, including the comments you are referring to, and is now being addressed through our department's disciplinary process," Ridenhour said of the investigation in an email, declining to provide a copy of the report. The comments referred to include a comment made by one officer stating "20 years ago, that f***** would be dead," referring to Reyes. ...

And, fwiw....

CT Appellate Court dismisses YouTuber's appeal of Danbury guilty verdict for trespassing (2023)
www.newstimes.com

A look at some new CT laws taking effect on Oct. 1
ctmirror.org

... Police officers' body cameras

Currently, Connecticut police officers are required to activate body cameras during on-duty interactions with the public but can choose to deactivate the camera if they believe doing so could interfere with an investigation.

The new law requires the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and the Police Officer Standards and Training Council to update their guidelines on body-worn camera equipment to outline the circumstances under which an officer cannot stop recording. ...

Kicking the can down the road, or a real solution?