Kentucky police department to get body cameras in wake of fatal shooting by officer
In the wake of a fatal shooting by police, officers in the city of London are getting body cameras to record interactions with the public, according to Mayor Randall Weddle.
Weddle said he met Thursday with a representative of Motorola to enter into a deal for the company to supply body cameras for the police department.
The cost will be $450,000 over five years for equipment, data storage and other costs, Weddle said.
He said the city would use drug-forfeiture money for the initial costs.
The issue has been contentious in London because of a shooting on Dec. 23, 2024.
London officers were not wearing cameras when they tried to serve a search warrant at a home in rural Laurel County late that night.
According to information in a warrant state police obtained later, the resident of the house, 63-year-old Doug Harless, pointed a gun at police before a London officer shot and killed him.
Citizens later held a rally demanding justice for Harless, and several at a testy city council meeting on Jan. 6 questioned why officers didn’t have body cameras.
The police department had used body-worn cameras for several years before Chuck Johnson, who was chief at the time, suspended their use in March 2023, according to a directive the Herald-Leader received.
Johnson said that the cameras were aging, that many were broken, and that the city couldn’t get them fixed because the maker had gone out of business.
Weddle said the city council meeting that the city wanted to obtain body cameras as part of a larger program to update systems at the police department, but said Thursday he was expediting the purchase.
“It’s in the works,” Weddle said. “I’m hearing the public. They want their officers wearing body cameras.”
State police are investigating Harless’ death and have not yet released findings.
This story was originally published January 9, 2025 at 4:05 PM.
