Why your attorney MUST review the police body camera footage

When police wear body cameras, police reports are no longer the best source of information after an arrest.

Too many criminal cases come down to credibility disputes between police officers and arrestees. Body cameras exist to help hold officers accountable and to keep the public’s trust. Tucson Police Department Officers wear body cameras. The technology enables officers to record all of their interaction with the public while on duty. The entire engagement between both police and the arrestee is recorded and logged in as evidence.

If you are charged with a crime by the police, an experienced attorney should carefully the video evidence recorded by the body camera. Careful review is necessary because you may find that your client’s due process right’s were violated warranting a dismissal.

Some of my best successes are in cases that (1) look like dead-bang losers, and (2) have body camera footage. In the past, the criminally accused and their attorneys had to rely entirely on the police report and the officer’s (self-serving) memory.

Recently, I was able to hold law enforcement accountable by carefully reviewing the body camera footage.

In a case where a client was charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon after allegation of a driving under the influence (DUI) collision. After his arrest, police reports indicated that a third-party at the scene had identified my client as the driver. However, after watching the body camera footage, I found that the third-party did not identify my client as the driver and had in fact, identified a different individual as the driver and told police he saw the driver leave the scene. Once our team showed the evidence to the prosecutor, we continued negotiations until all charges related to driving or driving under the influence were dismissed. My client was facing years in prison, and walked away from the courthouse without even a probation term.

Police officer body camera footage can prove the actual innocence of a defendant, it can reveal police misconduct, provide contradictory information for the officer and witnesses’ testimony, reveal search and seizure or Miranda issues, among other things beneficial for the defense.

At AJB Law Firm, I am committed to helping build the strongest defense strategy possible. I fully investigate every case, collect evidence, and carefully review police body camera footage to get the best results for my clients.