Lockland officer was not equipped with body camera during fatal shooting on I-75
The Lockland police officer who fatally shot a man on Interstate 75 in Evendale last week was not wearing a body camera, as the department has yet to equip all its officers with body-worn cameras, officials said.
While the village council passed an ordinance authorizing Lockland police to use body cameras, only four such cameras are in service and the officer who shot 48-year-old Samuel Mumyarutete was not wearing one, a statement posted to the village's website reads.
Officials said only four officers have been wearing the cameras in the field to test them, but the village has "prioritized funding and training to ensure the full deployment of cameras across the department in the near future."
An Ohio Department of Transportation spokesperson said at least part of the shooting was captured on a nearby traffic camera at I-75 and Glendale Milford Road. However, officials have yet to release that footage.
The shooting came after West Chester Township police began a pursuit at the intersection of Princeton Glendale Road and Provident Drive on March 19 after they received notification from a license plate reader of a stolen vehicle, according to a township spokeswoman.
Officers located the vehicle and attempted to pull it over, but the driver fled.
West Chester officers pursued the vehicle for approximately six miles and ended the chase at the Hamilton County line, where other departments picked it up. Several police departments responded at about 2:45 a.m. to assist when the chase entered Hamilton County, according to Evendale police.
Officials said the vehicle being pursued was found crashed near Glendale Milford Road and Evendale Drive, though its occupants were not found there.
After one suspect had been taken into custody, a Lockland officer located Mumyarutete walking along the interstate, according to Lockland police.
Mumyarutete was holding something and refused to obey police commands, police said, adding the Lockland officer tried to stop Mumyarutete with a Taser but was unsuccessful.
As Mumyarutete continued to disobey commands, the officer opened fire and struck him in the chest, police said. It remains unclear exactly what prompted the officer to discharge their weapon.
Mumyarutete was a refugee fleeing a civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, his family said in a statement last week. They added he was not fluent in English and relied on a translation app on his cellphone.
Hamilton County Municipal Court records show Mumyarutete was arrested March 14 on a misdemeanor assault charge after he allegedly attacked someone with a metal pole.He was released from jail on his own recognizance, meaning the court trusted Mumyarutete to return for future hearings without posting a monetary bond, just two days before the shooting.The court records indicate Mumyarutete planned to argue that he acted in self-defense.
The Ohio Bureau of Investigation was called to handle the shooting inquiry, as commonly happens after police shootings in the state.
Lockland officials said the officer has been placed on administrative leave while BCI completes its investigation, and the police department will also conduct an internal investigation.
"We acknowledge the deep impact this has on the family of Mr. Mumyarutete, our officers, and the broader community − especially our growing immigrant community," the village's statement reads. "While we remain in contact with the Mumyarutete family, the BCI Investigation will review all of the events leading up to the shooting during their investigation."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Lockland officer not equipped with body camera in fatal shooting
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