ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4) — St. Louis police tell First Alert 4 they want to add hundreds of body cameras for officers and cameras in patrol cars. The department has released a new plan, recommitting to the technology they say is a vital tool for improving and enhancing the safety of officer and civilian interactions.
One recent case highlighted by First Alert 4 Investigates on Monday serves as an example of why experts say these tools are so important.
In September 2023, St. Louis Metropolitan Police officers responded to Forest Park after receiving a call from someone threatening to take their own life. The individual was later identified as 29-year-old Urayoan Rodriguez-Rivera. According to disciplinary complaints, then-officers Austin Fraser and Ty Warren arrived at the scene and found a man lying under a tree, shot in the head but still alive…