Some Officers are Buying Their Own Body Cams

Officer Kidder of New Richmond, Ohio, whose body cam showed his impressive restraint in not using deadly force in his confrontation with a murder suspect, was using his own body cam during the incident. It was apparently given to him by a family member. Apparently, there is a growing trend of officers wanting to have cameras to document their actions, even when the departments don’t provide it. It’s refreshing to see officers who believe in their work and are interested in honestly documenting their interactions.

Again, Crimcourts would encourage more law enforcement agencies to implement body cameras for the protection of the community, and the officers who are doing a good job. Fort Myers has started rolling them out, in spite of a short delay due to union complaints about camera policies, and Cape Coral is doing the same. Kudos to the Cities of Fort Myers and Cape Coral for taking the initiative to introduce body cameras.

Ohio Officer Doesn’t Shoot Suicidal Man

Image from Ofc. Kidder’s body cam

Officer Jessie Kidder, of New Richmond, Ohio, deserves a medal of some sort. A double murder suspect led police on a chase, with an intent to commit suicide by cop. When he was stopped by Ofc. Kidder, he approached the officer aggressively, asking the officer to shoot him, and threatening the officer. There is no doubt that in light of the circumstances Kidder would have been justified in using deadly force to defend himself. But he demonstrated extreme restraint, and it turned out that no force was necessary, as the suspect surrendered when backup arrived.

The entire incident is documented on a body cam video. Amazingly, the camera was not provided by the department, but by Kidder himself (it was a gift from family). Had he needed to use deadly force, the video would have proven him justified. Fortunately, he was able to resolve the incident without killing the man. The video is on the WLWT website, and it is dramatic.

EDIT- New Richmond is in Ohio, not KY. Sorry.