The police body cam law was put to the test in Charlotte last week and earned an “A” for public access. Mecklenburg County Superior Court Judge Jesse Caldwell ordered all Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department body and dash cam video to be released in connection with the June 2 police shooting of Rodney Rodriguez Smith, a teenage boy.
A new North Carolina law requires a judge’s approval to release police video. Police spotted Smith after reports of a shooting on a bus, and a department spokesman said officers felt threatened as they approached him because he was armed. Authorities say officers fired, and Smith died at the scene. The officers, who weren’t hurt, were cleared of any wrongdoing.
CMPD said the videos would likely be posted to their website late next week.