Authorities’ decision not to release footage of recent police shootings fuels public outcry for accountability

A series of police shootings in Anchorage, Alaska, has sparked a heated debate over transparency, as local law enforcement officials have withheld bodycam footage from three separate incidents that occurred within three weeks. Despite the introduction of body cameras to the department earlier this year, the Anchorage Police Department has not released any video footage of the shootings, raising concerns about accountability.

Anchorage Police Chief-designee Bianca Cross, who holds the legal authority to release the footage, has stated that she intends to withhold the video until after both departmental and state investigations are completed. This process could extend over several months, and during a recent press conference, Cross suggested that the footage might never be made public.

The Alaska Black Caucus, along with family members of Kristopher Handy, one of the men killed in the police shootings, have voiced strong calls for the footage to be released. Handy’s family believes that security camera footage from a neighbour contradicts the police’s account of the incident.

Celeste Hodge Growden, president of the Alaska Black Caucus, expressed her frustration, stating, “The body cameras were introduced for transparency and accountability, but right now, we are missing that crucial element.”

On May 13, four officers opened fire on Kristopher Handy in a parking lot outside an apartment complex. Police claim Handy raised a long gun at them, though they have yet to specify the firearm’s make. Security footage, which was shared online, appears to show Handy holding the gun in a downward position when he was shot multiple times.

Chief Cross has responded by suggesting that relying solely on the neighbour’s video clip to draw conclusions is misleading. She explained that the video doesn’t capture the full context, including what happened before and after the 33-second recording, nor does it reveal the officers’ perspectives or any other vital information outside the frame.

At a protest outside police headquarters in Anchorage, Handy’s family, along with other community members, demanded the immediate release of the bodycam footage. Travis Handy, the deceased’s brother, voiced his belief that the footage would support their version of events, further fuelling the growing suspicion that its withholding is due to concerns about its potential implications.

The controversy comes amid a larger conversation about police accountability in the city, which led to the approval of a $1.6 million tax levy in 2021 to equip officers with body cameras. However, delays in implementing the technology prompted legal action by the Alaska Black Caucus, and officers only began using the cameras last November.

The three shootings in question occurred in quick succession, adding to the urgency of the calls for transparency. In the most recent incident, Tyler May, 21, was killed by police after reportedly refusing orders to drop his weapon. Another shooting occurred late at night in downtown Anchorage, after a man, Kaleb Bourdukofsky, was involved in an argument outside a bar. After turning and shooting into a crowd, Bourdukofsky was shot by police and wounded.

As investigations into these incidents continue, the growing demand for transparency from law enforcement remains a central issue in Anchorage’s ongoing debate about police accountability.