Police officers in Chicago have tampered with dashcam devices to block microphones from picking up audio, according to new report.
Officers destroyed microphone antennas, hid microphones in glove compartments and removed batteries to keep their devices from functioning properly, according to a report from DNAinfo Chicago that relies on a review of more than 1,800 police maintenance logs. A previous report by the local news outlet found that 80% of police dashcams in the city did not record audio properly.
The investigation comes as officials continue to grapple with backlash over the death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald at the hands of police. The video shows officer Jason Van Dyke shooting and killing McDonald, but the audio is missing. Records uncovered by DNAinfo show that dashcam was scheduled to be repaired after intentional damage.
[DNAinfo]
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Eyewitness Accounts From the Trump Rally Shooting
- From 2022: How the Threat of Political Violence Is Transforming America
- ‘We’re Living in a Nightmare:’ Inside the Health Crisis of a Texas Bitcoin Town
- Remembering Shannen Doherty , the Quintessential Gen X Girl
- How Often Do You Really Need to Wash Your Sheets?
- Why Mail Theft Is on the Rise
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Get Our Paris Olympics Newsletter in Your Inbox
Write to Justin Worland at justin.worland@time.com