Boise mayor calls for release of police-shooting videos. How Ada prosecutor replied
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean has called on the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office to release body camera footage of recent police shootings in the city, leading to a sharp rebuke from the prosecutor as the videos remain unseen by the public.
McLean said in a news release Monday that the prosecutor’s office has withheld the footage because of ongoing investigations, but that there is great public interest in making the footage available.
“I know these incidents have created feelings of uncertainty and anxiety for members of our community,” she said. “I also understand the public’s frustration when it comes to body camera footage – it can often be months before the images are released.”
Her statement came after Boise police shot three people over a four-week span. The shooting of a Bantu man on June 27 led to protests in front of City Hall demanding that footage be released. As of Monday, none of that footage had been released to the public.
At a round-table meeting with reporters last week, Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee said the department had begun discussions about releasing body-camera footage earlier and that investigators often have a say as to whether footage is released.
He declined to answer when asked if the county prosecutor could unilaterally prevent footage from being released.
Despite the pressure applied by the mayor’s office, the prosecutor’s office didn’t budge.
In her own news release later Monday afternoon, Prosecutor Jan Bennetts said releasing footage too early can damage an investigation, since criminal charges could be filed at a later time.
“Premature release of any evidence in criminal investigations violates the due process rights of those who may be charged and prevents a fair trial,” Bennetts said. “We will not be party to impeding the pursuit of justice.”
This story was originally published August 9, 2021 at 5:18 PM.
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