Charleston Police spending more than $500K for new in car cameras

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - Charleston Police will spend more than $500,000 to buy new in car cameras for their officers.

The announcement comes after it was revealed that there is no video of a field sobriety test that was given to a suspect arrested for DUI in August 2018.

The suspect, 58-year-old Nathaniel Rhodes was taken out of an ambulance and given the test.

Police say the officer, Paul Kelly, signed a do not transport to hospital form that was supposed to be signed by Rhodes or a family member. Kelly has been suspended with pay.

Chief Luther Reynolds says the problems is there aren't enough in car cameras for his fleet of cruisers, and that many of them are too old to on the streets.

The chief several months ago he got approval from city council to spend $530,000 to buy 100 new cameras.

The chief calls it an opportunity for the department to get better and he expects taxpayers will voice their approval.

"We have to properly equip, train and hold our officers accountable for the right outcomes, but we have to give them the equipment to do their jobs and this is part of it," Reynolds said Tuesday.

Reynolds says the new cameras will be ordered in the spring.

The State Law Enforcement Division continues to investigate the Rhodes arrest and his death.

Charleston County investigators are doing an internal investigation into how the paramedics involved in the incident conducted themselves.

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