ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – Through the eyes of police officers, we now often see what goes down during violent confrontations.
Bodycam reveals what happened in recent cases, like a February 2024 St. Ann incident where an officer shot a man in the arm, knocking the gun from the suspect’s hand as the gun appeared to be pointed at the officer with a laser site.
Another case is from April 2023 in St. Louis County, showing a man running from officers while firing at them.
These are recent examples of police releasing video prior to the case being wrapped up in court.
“We want to put those out there so the community can see,” St. Louis County Police Deputy Chief Juan Cox said. “I’ve been a proponent of these body-worn cameras for a long time because I want the community to see what these officers are going through and these split-second decisions that they have to make.”
He explained how his department created a policy to release police video within 45 days following a critical incident.
The North County Police Cooperative was born about a year after the events in Ferguson–a department that now serves eight north county communities.
Cpl. Benjamin Santoyo added that cameras help officers learn more from their encounters.
“I ask myself five things: what happened, what was supposed to happen, what went wrong, what went right, how can we improve and those cameras offer us the opportunity to do after-action reviews and to take it a step further and offer the public to have that input with us,” he said.
Citizens Kahlia Garcia and Khaniya Wise say they’ve noticed the changes.
Garcia explained, “Having proof with whatever the situation may be—a cop may lie about it, but if somebody has a body camera, they can go back and run it back.”
Wise added, “It’s better overall for everybody, and honestly, look at the proof of it off the bodycam and not just what he said she said.”
Both women said they might never have known about the July 6, 2024, Springfield, IL, case where a Sangamon County deputy shot Sonya Massey in her home after Massey called police for help. That officer is charged with murder, with the case still in court, as the bodycam was released.
Police officers often say they like the cameras as they may expose officers who should leave the profession, while clearing others falsely accused.
Cameras give us more to see, but officers say other crucial changes include reforms you cannot see, like more mental health support.
“We’ve always talked about physical fitness—I’ll have 30 years here in a few months—we never talked about the mental fitness. You have to be physically and mentally fit because you never know when you’re going to have an 18-hour day,” Cox said.
St. Louis County Police created a wellness unit that checks in with first responders after a trauma. Meanwhile, the Coop partners with BJC.
Santoyo said, “I just want to give credence to all the people that paved the way over the last ten years and I think today, St. Louis specifically, we’re a stronger law enforcement community and not just that, we’re a stronger community and I think everyone has contributed to that.”
