Westmoreland County DA asking to review police body cam footage before releasing it to the public

LIGONIER, Pa. — After body cam footage was released from a Westmoreland County police department showing an officer-involved shooting this summer – the District Attorney is asking police departments to have her office review similar footage before it gets released.

Body camera video from a shooting involving a Ligonier Valley Police Officer on July 2 shows two officers approaching a home they were called to with reports a man had a machete and was threatening to kill a woman.

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One of the officers shoots him as he comes out of the house with the machete. He later died.

Channel 11 obtained this video on August 17, after the DA announced the officer was justified in the shooting.

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It was released by the police department, not the DA’s office.

“The public has the right to see that,” said John Cencich, Professor and Criminologist at PennWest University.

Cencich said seeing this kind of body cam footage is important for the public, especially for transparency in policing.

“Public perception is very important, because we know if perception is bad, violence can erupt, civil unrest, and we see that across the country,” Cencich said.

District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli’s office declined to comment on this new proposal.

However, Ziccarelli told the Trib this body cam video being released could cause a safety issue because it shows an officer’s face.

“If there is a concern relative to the identity to an officer who wasn’t involved in the shooting for some reason, then it’s up to the police department to make that decision as to whether they want to release it, and to my understanding, they made a decision that there was no issue,” Cencich said. “So if they didn’t have an issue, why would the district attorney have an issue?”

Cencich said he understands the concerns that a video like this wouldn’t be released to the public if it has to be reviewed by a district attorney.

But, he thinks departments having the option to enter into an agreement with the DA to have prosecutors review video could be good – as long as it’s still released to the public in a timely manner.

So far, North Huntingdon is the first to enter into an agreement.

“I think in the end, it would be good,” Cencich said. “If you have a district attorney’s office that’s abusing that and the police department doesn’t like what’s happening, then they’ll have to find a solution for that, but I think instances of that would be rare.”

Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek spoke with Mark Sorice, the solicitor for Ligonier Valley Police. He said they have not been approached about any agreements with the District Attorney’s office, but said they’re welcome to have those discussions to have a uniform policy with all departments in the county.

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