Failure to record raises questions over whether police tampered with or misused it as officials say investigation into Paul O’Neal’s death is under way

The body camera of the Chicago police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black teenager in the back last week did not record the shooting, prompting questions about whether the camera malfunctioned or was tampered with or misused by police.

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Three officers shot at Paul O’Neal on Thursday evening after O’Neal fled from a car he had allegedly stolen. The 18-year-old was killed after being shot in the back, according to the local medical examiner. The department spokesman, Anthony Guglielmi, said on Monday an investigation was under way to determine why the equipment did not capture the shooting. Authorities do not currently believe that the officer intentionally turned off the camera, according to the Chicago Tribune.

O’Neal was stopped while driving a Jaguar he had reportedly stolen. As he tried to drive away from police, he crashed the car into two police vehicles, at which point two officers began shooting, according to the initial investigation. Police said O’Neal fled the scene of the crash on foot and was shot by a third officer who ran after him. It is the third officer’s camera that was not recording. None of the officers who opened fire have been identified.



Chicago police ordered hundreds of additional body cameras this year to expand a pilot program. The officers who shot at O’Neal had recently begun wearing their cameras, Guglielmi said.

The police chief, Eddie Johnson, said the three officers violated department policies, without giving any further detail. Department brass took the notable step of stripping the officers of their police powers, meaning they cannot carry their guns or their badges while the investigation continues.

Chicago officers involved in shootings are automatically placed on desk duty for 30 days, but the officers who opened fire on Thursday night will not return to regular duty unless they are cleared by investigators.

There is at least some video footage from Thursday night captured by police dashboard cameras and other officers’ body cameras, although the actual shooting was not recorded, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The city’s beleaguered agency for investigating police misconduct, the Independent Police Review Authority (Ipra), is reviewing the shooting along with internal Chicago police investigators. Ipra has been repeatedly criticized for being too lenient on officers accused of misconduct, and a police reform taskforce recommended the agency be scrapped completely.

Chicago police, already questioned for their use of force and their treatment of black civilians, came under a wave of additional criticism after video of the 2014 fatal shooting of the black teenager Laquan McDonald was released in November. The footage prompted first-degree murder charges against the officer who opened fire, a Department of Justice investigation and a complete overhaul of department leadership. DNAinfo Chicago reported in January that 80% of police dashboard cameras didn’t properly record audio because officers had either mistakenly operated the cameras or intentionally damaged them.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.