Photo Courtesy of Edwin Torres/Mayoral Photography Office
Mayor de Blasio unveiled the new body-worn cameras in April 2017.
By Michael V. Cusenza
City Police Department officials have suspended the distribution and use of a certain model body-worn camera after one of them exploded inside a precinct stationhouse on Saturday.
According to an NYPD spokesperson, a cop retrieved a Vievu LE-5 body-cam for deployment on the Saturday midnight tour and noticed there was smoke emitting from the bottom portal. After the officer removed it, the device exploded. There were no injuries sustained. The incident revealed a potential for the battery inside the camera to ignite. The cause and scope of the defect are currently being investigated, officials said on Sunday.
All officers assigned LE-5 cameras were instructed to immediately remove them and bring them back to their commands. The department is in the process of collecting and removing the LE-5 cameras from all commands.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our officers, and equipping the NYPD with the best equipment is a paramount priority,” the spokesperson said.
