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Fla. cops who fatally shot man at hospital did not have working body cams

Non-working body cameras have been a recurring issue, a department spokeswoman said

By David Harris
Orlando Sentinel

ORLANDO, Fla. — The three Orlando police officers who shot a man to death early Monday morning at Orlando Regional Medical Center did not have working body cameras, according to a spokeswoman.

Other officers with body cams responded and there is video of the shooting, spokeswoman Michelle Guido said. But non-working body cameras during incidents have been a recurring issue as the Orlando Police Department has implemented its body cam program.

Officers responded around 5:30 a.m. to the emergency room at ORMC after a man, later identified as Brian Baker, threatened staff and said he had a gun. Crisis negotiators tried talking with him, but officers shot him when he started reaching for his waistband. He ended up being unarmed.

Guido said one of the officers was a K-9 officer and did not have a body camera issued to him. Another was a SWAT officer who put his body armor over his regular uniform, covering his body cam, Guido said. And the third officer’s body camera died, she said.

In another fatal police shooting earlier this year, the body camera battery was dead. It caused the department to use cameras with a longer battery life.

Members of the Orlando Citizens’ Police Review Board have raised issues about the non-working body cams.

Guido said Chief John Mina “feels strongly” that officers follow the body cam policy.

“If policy violations are uncovered in this incident or any other, those will be investigation, and officers could face discipline,” Guido said.

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