Fairbanks father's testimony drives push for faster body cam release

A Fairbanks father whose two sons were shot by Alaska State Troopers during a mental health crisis call told state lawmakers Tuesday his family waited months for body camera footage while learning details from news media instead.

Gerald Rexford testified before the House State Affairs Committee in support of House Bill 377, which would require police agencies to release body camera footage within 30 days of use-of-force incidents resulting in death or serious injury. The committee adopted a committee substitute incorporating that requirement.

Rexford called troopers on January 1 after his wife asked him to get help for their 24-year-old son, who was in a mental health crisis. He told the dispatcher his son needed to return to the hospital. While Rexford stood outside, gunshots were fired inside his home. Both of his sons were shot.

"I watched as a covered body was carried out of my home, and no one would tell me what had happened," Rexford said. "In the months that followed, our family was in Seattle while my oldest son fought for his life."

Rexford said officers involved viewed the body camera footage on January 7, but his family has not received the full unedited footage. The footage released publicly was edited and did not fully answer the family's questions, he said. Alaska News Source received the footage while the family was finishing the burial.

"We had been requesting this since January, were denied, and were given a statute to appeal. So we did," Rexford said.

The committee substitute for HB 377 would require agencies to release body camera footage within 30 days of use-of-force incidents resulting in death or serious injury. Agencies could extend the deadline by 30 days if the agency head determines release would substantially interfere with an active criminal investigation. Courts could extend the timeline further.

Representative Sarah Vance said she wanted to ensure the timeline and exemptions are correct to avoid interfering with investigations.

"I want to make sure that we have this timeline correct around the exemption regarding an active criminal investigation and how much the courts can extend that because investigation timelines vary, and that is the ultimate justice," Vance said.

Vance maintained an objection to adopting the committee substitute, citing concerns about investigation timelines. She later removed the objection after discussion.

Austin McDaniel, communications director for the Department of Public Safety, said current practice requires agencies to release body camera footage within 10 days after the Office of Special Prosecutions determines an officer's use of force was lawful and justified. Most larger agencies release footage within hours of that determination, he said.