The mother of Michael Brown, Jr. says she still doesn’t have the truth about what happened to her son in 2014. Leslie McSpadden testified to a Missouri senate committee today in support of police body camera laws in Missouri.
Senator Jamilah Nasheed (left) and Lesley McSpadden, mother of Michael Brown, Junior
“On August 9th, there was no recorded account of my son’s last moments in life. I still do not have closure,” said McSpadden. “Please let police-worn body cameras be a voice of truth and transparency in Missouri communities.”
Brown was shot and killed by then-Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.
“This isn’t a black and white issue,” said McSpadden. “This is a right and wrong issue.”
The committee is considering a bill sponsored by Senator Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis) that would require police in St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, Independence and Springfield to wear body cameras while on duty and in uniform. The bill also says if an officer fails to record, the officer must be suspended without pay until the completion of an investigation into why there was no recording.
The cost to provide recording equipment for police in these cities would be nearly $6 million. Nasheed believes the cost isn’t the main objection to her bill.
“I think the main opposition is ignorance, the lack of need for body cameras. I think we have a lot of work to do to educate our colleagues,” said Nasheed.
“We have to let them know that this isn’t an attack on law enforcement. Many of them are pro police and they don’t want to do anything that would be in conflict with law enforcement. What we’re looking is show them that we can come together with law enforcement,” said Nasheed.
Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D-University City) supports bill. She said some southern and very conservative states have body camera laws.
“If you have Texas and South Carolina that can pass body camera laws, why in the world can’t the Show Me State pass body camera laws?”
No one testified against the bill.
