An investigation is underway after a body camera caught a Los Angeles police officer allegedly fondling a dead woman’s breasts.
According to the Los Angeles Times, here’s how it went down:
The incident occurred when the officer and his partner responded to a call about a possible dead woman in a residential unit, sources said. Once the two officers determined the woman was dead, one officer returned to the patrol car to retrieve something. During that time, the accused officer turned off his body-worn camera and allegedly fondled the woman’s breasts, LAPD officials said.
Prior to groping the deceased woman the unnamed officer deactivated his body camera. However, a two-minute recording buffer still recorded the incident.
In November, the LAPD announced that it would begin reviewing random recordings that don’t involve arrests or use of force in order to ensure proper police protocol was being followed and to deter “biased policing.” The footage was uncovered during a random inspection and upon its discovery, the officer was placed on leave.
“We immediately launched an administrative investigation once we learned about the incident,” chief spokesman Josh Rubenstein told the Times, “And we assigned the officer to home.”
The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents more than 9,000 members of the LAPD, admonished the officer’s alleged behavior.
“If this allegation is true, then the behavior exhibited by this officer is not only wrong, but extremely disturbing, and does not align with the values we, as police officers, hold dear, and these values include respect and reverence for the deceased,” the board of directors said in a statement. “This behavior has no place in law enforcement.”
As part of its investigation, the department is also examining the officer’s work history.