BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Bakersfield Police Chief, Greg Terry, joined 17 News at Sunrise to discuss the department’s methods used in a deadly 2021 officer-involved shooting, body-worn camera policies and the Real Time Crime Center technological advancements.
The Department of Justice recently cleared BPD and released a report regarding a 2021 officer-involved deadly shooting of Che Noe Zuniga Jr. The DOJ was critical of officer’s use of their body-worn cameras in the minutes after the death of Zuniga, recommending policy changes.
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In the shooting, officers muted their body cameras after the death of Zuniga.
Although DOJ has concluded the investigation, Chief Terry says his department is still reviewing the 2021 shooting with the purpose of coming to an understanding of the DOJ’s new body camera policy recommendations.
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Terry also shed light on the technological advancements BPD’s Real Time Crime center has adopted, which include: license plate readers, drones, traffic cameras and more.