COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus police officer Spencer Badger, who was fired earlier this year for improperly downloading and sharing body-worn camera footage, has been reinstated with full back pay and benefits following a ruling by an independent arbitrator, NBC4i reported.
The Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge #9 announced the decision on Nov. 5, stating that the arbitrator sided with Badger in overturning the termination.
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Badger, a 14-year veteran of the Columbus Division of Police, was fired in March 2025 after city officials determined he had downloaded bodycam footage without following proper public records procedures and uploaded the content to his personal YouTube channel, according to NBC4i. His termination was upheld at the time by Public Safety Director Kate McSweeney-Pishotti, who called the conduct “critical misconduct.”
“Officer Badger admits to violating division policy on multiple occasions,” McSweeney-Pishotti said at the time. “He admits to improperly and repeatedly downloading law enforcement materials to a personal device.”
Badger, who had initially been placed on administrative duty in February, had expressed confidence he would return to duty.
“It’s not something that people get fired for and I’m 100 percent positive I will get my job back.”
He said he launched the “Columbus Police Body Camera” YouTube channel during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, claiming the city’s political leadership used the unrest to exert more control over the police department, according to the report.
Badger’s reinstatement is effective immediately.
