New Okla. Law Limits Release of Police Videos of Line-of-Duty Deaths

Sept. 28, 2022

Under the new law, which was sparked by the death of a Tulsa police sergeant, a judge must approve the public release of police videos that capture the line-of-duty deaths of law enforcement officers.

A new Oklahoma law spurred by the killing of a police officer limits the public release of video footage of line-of-duty deaths to the public.

Under the new law, video and audio of the line-of-duty death of a law enforcement officer captured by a body-worn or dashboard camera must be approved by a judge before their release to the public, The Associated Press reports. The judge can allow their release if it's in the public's interest, and the law also allows the family of the victims to view or listen to what's been recorded.

“All this means is that, on a video where a law enforcement officer is depicted in death, then it goes before a judge to decide if the public should see that video before it's used in the courtroom,” Tulsa Police Chief Wendall Franklin told KOTV-TV.

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The measure—which went into effect earlier this year but was signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt in a ceremony Monday—was prompted by the death of Tulsa Police Sgt. Craig Johnson, who was fatally shot in the head during a 2020 traffic stop that left another officer seriously wounded. Footage of the incident—graphic in some parts—was released because it was in the public record. Clips then were widely circulated online.

“This bill is about protecting the dignity not only of our fallen heroes but their fellow officers and surviving family members who can be retraumatized by these recordings," Sen. John Haste said in a statement when the law was officially signed in April.