BOISE, Idaho — Following three shootings involving officers from the Boise Police Department in a month, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean announced on Monday that she is asking the Ada County Prosecutor to allow the city to release the body camera video from each of the shootings. However, the prosecutor's office said it would undermine the investigation and "constitutional due process."
So far, according to McLean, the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney Jan Bennetts has requested the city withhold the police body camera video. However, McLean pointed out that there is significant interest from the community about each of the incidents.
On Friday, in a letter, McLean asked Bennetts to release the body camera footage from the three shootings.
"I know these incidents have created feelings of uncertainty and anxiety for members of our community. I also understand the public's frustration when it comes to body camera footage – it can often be months before the images are released," she said in a statement.
Mayor McLean recognized that prosecutors and law enforcement are worried about releasing documents regarding an ongoing and active case. She added that releasing the footage from the three shootings would be "an important step toward accountability" and transparency.
"I stand side by side with our police officers and our community in asking for the Ada County Prosecutor's Office to reconsider its position on this issue," she said.
Shortly after McLean's announcement on Monday, Jan Bennetts released her own statement on the matter, rejecting McLean's request and saying, "We will not be party to impeding the pursuit of justice."
"Release of evidence, including on-body video footage, not only undermines the investigation of Ada County's Critical Incident Taskforce, which is comprised of law enforcement agencies across Ada County and the Idaho State Police, but it also undermines constitutional due process and the Idaho ethical rules," Bennetts wrote.
Mayor McLean spoke with KTVB Tuesday about the debate and said it's about trust between the city and the citizens.
“We want to ensure that the desires of our community are reflected in our request and that is to provide transparency, maintain community trust, so we ask in partnership to release the videos," McLean told The 208 on Tuesday.
Of the three shootings involving officers from the Boise Police Department, one was fatal. On July 24, officers shot and killed Forrest T. Moore, 31, of Boise after police said officers "were forced to respond to what they believed was an immediate threat" to their lives. Later, it was determined Moore had a semi-automatic BB gun on his person.
On July 11, Boise Police shot a man who they say stole a moving van and rammed it into officers' patrol cars during a chase. The man was hospitalized.
A 33-year-old man was shot by Boise police officers on June 27 after he waved a weapon around inside of a car with an endangered teenager inside. Mohamud Mkoma of Boise was hospitalized and now faces numerous charges, including lewd conduct.
Bennetts said evidence from the officer-involved shootings should be handled like any other criminal case. She added that each of the investigations conducted by the Critical Incident Task Force could still lead to charges against the officers.
"The critical incident task force investigations are real criminal investigations that could result in charges being filed against police officers or others," Bennetts said. "Premature release of any evidence in criminal investigations violates the due process rights of those who may be charged and prevents a fair trial."
McLean told KTVB that she has heard a lot of community feedback on the recent incidents and simply wants there to be trust between the community and local law enforcement.
“This is a really important tool for transparency and accountability and to ensure that our community retains the trust that we enjoy between our residents and our police officers. Everything we do is aimed at keeping our community safe and maintaining that trust. To maintain that trust, it requires for us to be transparent and accountable,” McLean said.
In response to the strong statement on releasing body camera video from the Ada County Prosecutor’s office, Mayor McLean said she wants to continue the conversation.
“We will continue to ask for partnership, seek partnership, it’s so important not only for the public but for the police department and seeks ways to ensure that videos are released.”
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