Roy Cooper on New Body Camera Legislation: "I Support It" | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Raleigh, N.C.     Audio from a recent meeting between Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police reveals Roy Cooper told the police group that he supports North Carolina's new body camera legislation establishing a clear, legal process for the release of law enforcement video. This statement made behind closed doors directly contradicts public statements Roy Cooper has made criticizing the law.

    "Roy Cooper will tell law enforcement one thing behind closed doors, but another thing in front of the media," said Ricky Diaz, McCrory campaign spokesman. "Did Attorney General Roy Cooper lie to the media or lie to our brave men and women in law enforcement?"

• When asked about the state's new body camera law, Roy Cooper told the Fraternal Order of Police, "I support it." Listen to the audio by clicking here.
• But speaking to members of the media, Roy Cooper has criticized the law, saying it was "too restrictive and goes too far in preventing access by the public." ("North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper Says Body Camera Law Needs Fixing," ABC11, 7/13/2016)

    Roy Cooper has a history of not releasing body and dash camera footage after 16-years of attorney general. In the trial of Randall 'Wes' Kerrick of the Charlotte Police Department, Roy Cooper's office refused to release the dash video of the 2013 shooting death of Jonathan Ferrell until the officer's trial in 2015. Roy Cooper led the prosecution of the law enforcement officer, which resulted in a mistrial. (Charlotte Observer, 4/8/2015)

    Audio Transcript:

    Listen to the audio by clicking here.

    FOP MEMBER: I'm [?] . The legislature recently passed a body camera bill which will go into effect here in a couple of months. I'd just like to know your feelings on it.

    COOPER: Yeah, I think body camera legislation can be helpful to everybody, and I support it. I do believe that there are times when we should not be showing the video immediately and that there should be a number of exceptions in the law in order, for example to protecting the suspect, or there is a need to keep it from the public, that should happen. I believe law enforcement should have the discretion of whether it wants to release the video to the public. One of the problems that we have sometimes is that things get built up over a period of time and there are lots of allegations, and you're better off just going ahead and showing the video to the public. So I believe that in many instances, going ahead and letting the video be shown is something that should be done but I realize that there are exceptions and those exceptions should be in the law.

    Before North Carolina's body camera law (Session Law 2016-88; House Bill 972), there was no clear legal process to instruct local law enforcement on how to handle or release body or dash camera footage. Often, they were considered a part of an officer's personnel file, which meant they were rarely released to the public. In short, it was up to the politicians and the law enforcement agencies whether or not to release dash and body camera video.

    The new law takes the decision-making authority out of the hands of the politicians by establishing a clear, legal process through the court system for the release of law enforcement video in North Carolina. After October 1, 2016, it will be up to the courts to make decisions regarding the release of law enforcement video. The law requires every law enforcement agency that uses body‑worn cameras or dashboard cameras to adopt a clear policy applicable to the use of those cameras.

    This new law passed with bipartisan support in the General Assembly, including strong support from the Black Caucus. It has been endorsed by every major law enforcement organization in North Carolina, including the N.C. Sheriff's Association, N.C. Association of Chiefs of Police, N.C. Fraternal Order of Police, N.C. Police Benevolent Association and the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys. Democrats voted 30-7 in favor of body camera bill in the N.C. House and 15-1 in the N.C. Senate.

• 15 Senate Democrats (Aye): Blue; Bryant; Chaudhuri; Clark; D. Davis; Ford; Foushee; Lowe; McKissick; Robinson; Smith; Smith-Ingram; Van Duyn; Waddell; Woodard
• 1 Senate Democrats (Noes): J. Jackson

• 30 House Democrats (Aye): Adcock; Ager; Alexander; L. Bell; Brisson; Carney; Earle; Floyd; Goodman; C. Graham; G. Graham; D. Hall; Hamilton; Hanes; Holley; Hunter; Jackson; Lucas; G. Martin; Meyer; Michaux; R. Moore; Pierce; Reives; B. Richardson; W. Richardson; Salmon; Sgro; B. Turner; Wray
• 7 House Democrats (Noes): Cotham; Fisher; Gill; L. Hall; Harrison; Insko; Luebke
• (Source)

• Contact: McCrory 2016 Press
•     media@patmccrory.com