Despite objections from Sacramento’s police chief, the City Council voted last night to demand the immediate release of video from a recent officer-involved shooting.
Interim Police Chief Brian Louie asked the council for a waiver, saying his department needs 60 days, rather than 30 days, to release the videos.
"Because of the complexity of the investigation and the seriousness of the incident, and volume of the video that we have collected, I just feel a need existed to request time prior to releasing any video," says Louie.
He says the police department has about six hours of videos to review. The council voted unanimously to deny the chief’s request for a waiver. Mayor Darrell Steinberg originally wanted to give the police 60 days to release the video. But he then changed his mind, saying the police department didn't give a specific reason why the video should be withheld from the public.
"We want to work with our law enforcement communities, not only the police department but the district attorney. But they have to come forward with a compelling reason, other than that, other than that you know, it's not their preference."
The council passed a resolution in November requiring video of officer-involved shootings be released within 30 days. The chief says the police department will release the videos within a week.
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