Under the new bill, a judge would still be able to order the video released if there is a compelling public interest
Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas legislators have approved a bill
preventing the general release of dashcam video showing the death of a
police officer in the line of duty.
Rep. Jimmy Gazaway, a former prosecutor, said video showing Officer
Jonathan Schmidt's final moments still makes the rounds on the internet
and occasionally shows up in the social media feeds of Schmidt's
survivors. He wants to spare other families the same misery.
This April 13,
2011, file photo, shows an image of Officer Jonathan Schmidt, right,
hanging at the Trumann, Ark., police station. (AP Photo/Jeannie Nuss,
File)
The Arkansas Senate passed the bill 31-0 Monday. The House passed it 94-0 last week.
Under Gazaway's bill, a judge would still be able to order the video released if there is a compelling public interest.
Schmidt's killer is on death row.
The governor has said he could back Freedom of Information Act restrictions that aren't overly broad.
