LMPD announces change in process of releasing body camera footage after police shootings

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- While releasing body camera footage Thursday from the fatal police shooting of a man armed with a knife near Dixie Highway, Louisville Metro Police announced changes to the way it releases such footage.

LMPD said Thursday that, moving forward, the chief and top brass of the police department will no longer answer questions face-to-face when the video is released to the public. Automatic news conferences, such as the one held Thursday afternoon, won't happen anymore. Instead, LMPD plans to release what it's calling "curated videos," showing the footage and a prepared statement on what they say happened.

There will be some exceptions, however, such as when there is a mass shooting or a threat to the public.

"This echoes the commitment to transparency and consistency from the mayor and the chief," Assistant Chief of LMPD Emily McKinley said Thursday. "All available public information is available in that video, any further questions may be directed to our Public Information Office."

Despite what was said at the podium, LMPD and Metro Government are actually becoming less transparent as the number of police shootings increases. The city has seen eight police shootings in the last 12 months, while there were only four the year before that.

Prior to the police killing of Breonna Taylor in March 2020, LMPD released body camera footage, names and personnel records of officers involved within 24 hours of a police shooting. Now, it's 10 business days for the video to be released, and there are no questions taken in-person.

This comes as LMPD is facing federal sanctions and mandated federal police reform because so many of its officers broke policies and laws they swore to uphold. The U.S. Department of Justice found a pattern and practice of unlawful policing and civil rights violations, many of which came to light because of the questioning of local journalists.

When asked why wouldn't they be willing to take questions from the media regarding a shooting involving an officer, as that seems to be the opposite of transparency, police said in a written statement Friday that they believe creating the pre-produced videos is "a step forward in transparency."

"Lieutenant Colonel McKinley mentioned examples of critical incidents where pressers would be warranted in the future," LMPD said in a written statement Friday. "The Mayor and Chief have made their positions very clear; we will continue to release body-worn camera footage within ten days of an officer-involved shooting. These curated packages contain a significant amount of information which covers everything we can release, without interfering or potentially harming any open and active investigation. The Chief and his executive command staff remain committed to making themselves available to answer any questions from members of the media and the community."

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