According to government records, Chicago police allegedly hid microphones and damaged dashboard cameras on purpose. This “intentional destruction” and “officer error” led to an absence of audio recording in about 80 percent of video footage, upward of 1,800 police maintenance logs show. Notably, maintenance records for Jason Van Dyke’s squad car—the officer who shot and killed teen Laquan McDonald—show lengthy delays for dash-cam repairs. In at least one case, that maintenance was required because of “intentional damage.”
