The Omaha Police Department has revised its policy regarding the public’s use of cameras in the wake of an investigation into recent excessive force allegations that saw four officers fired.
Police officials say the department has long recognized the public’s right to record the actions of police in public. The revised policy spells out that people cannot be arrested simply for recording police or being near a crime scene.
Police Chief Todd Schmaderer (SHMAH-dur) fired four officers last month after a March 21 incident involving police was secretly recorded. The video showed an officer violently throwing a man to the ground and punching him while he was restrained. Other officers were seen chasing Johnson’s brother, who was recording the arrest, into his house.