L.A. police to get tasers that activate body cameras when used

In Los Angeles, questions linger over the circumstances of the August death of Ezell Ford, an unarmed black man who was shot three times by two police officers during a scuffle. An autopsy showed that one bullet hit Ford in the back.

The weapons ordered by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) will be linked via Bluetooth Technology to Taser International’s body cameras, turning on the camera the second the Taser’s safety switch is thrown.

In December, L.A. officials announced a plan to equip 7,000 street cops with Taser’s body cameras. With nearly 10,000 officers, the LAPD is the third-largest municipal U.S. police department, after New York City and Chicago.