Photo is a screenshot from Officer 1 after Attorney General Kathy Jennings, Wilmington Mayor John Carney and Wilmington Police Chief Wilfredo Campos released as the Delaware Department of Justice continues its investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
Three police officers’ videos made public as state investigation continues
WILMINGTON — State and city officials have released body-worn camera footage from three Wilmington police officers who responded to the June 24 shooting of Kadir Skinner near 24th and Carter streets.
Attorney General Kathy Jennings, Wilmington Mayor John Carney and Wilmington Police Chief Wilfredo Campos announced the release as the Delaware Department of Justice continues its investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
The decision provides the public with an early look at portions of the police response while preserving restrictions officials say are necessary to protect the integrity of the active investigation.
Three separate videos were released, each beginning shortly before an officer arrived at the scene and ending shortly after the officer returned to a police vehicle.
Police Bodycam Video (age-restricted YouTube content)
The faces and names of officers and witnesses have been redacted. The Department of Justice said those redactions were required by legal and ethical obligations during an ongoing criminal investigation. Officials said the footage was otherwise unaltered.
The release represents an important step toward public transparency in a case that has generated community concern and calls for more information about what happened.
Body-camera footage, however, does not necessarily provide a complete view of an incident. Cameras are mounted on officers’ torsos, meaning their view can be blocked or may not capture everything an officer or witness saw.
The cameras also continuously record video without audio during a temporary “buffering” period before an officer activates the device. Once activated, the camera preserves the available buffered video and begins recording both sound and video.
As a result, the opening portions of body-camera recordings are often silent.
The Department of Justice said the footage was released because of the significant public interest surrounding the shooting.
Officials had previously delayed releasing the recordings while investigators completed early portions of the inquiry, including interviews with key witnesses, neighborhood canvasses and meetings with Skinner’s family.
According to the department, releasing the footage before those steps were completed could have influenced witness accounts or otherwise jeopardized the investigation.
The Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust is leading the investigation. The division is responsible for reviewing incidents involving the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers.
Because the investigation remains active, the Department of Justice said it cannot publicly characterize the people, objects or events shown in the recordings. It also cannot disclose additional evidence or reach conclusions about whether the officers’ actions were legally justified.
That limitation means the footage is presented without a formal state interpretation of what viewers see.
The officers involved have also not yet been publicly identified. Under Department of Justice policy, their names will be released when the investigation is completed.
At that time, the department is expected to issue a detailed public report presenting the available evidence and its legal analysis of the shooting.
The release of the recordings allows residents to review a significant piece of evidence before the final investigation is completed, while leaving unanswered questions for the department’s concluding report.
For city and state officials, the release seeks to balance two public responsibilities: providing timely access to information about a police shooting and protecting an investigation that will ultimately determine whether the use of force complied with Delaware law.
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