A bill pending in the Michigan Legislature would exempt some footage from police body-cams, which are currently being tested in Detroit, from public record request in the state.
The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake Township), comes as police departments across the U.S. have faced increased scrutiny in wake of the deaths of Walter Scott in South Carolina, Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York. All three were unarmed black males who died at the hands of white police officers.
But Runestad said his bill would address a lack of clarity in the law that exists. Currently, he said there's no guidelines to how long videos should be retained, nor is there any protection for private individuals from certain instances. Continue>>>
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