The New York Police Department has suspended the use of thousands of body cameras after one device exploded over the weekend.
The department said officers would immediately stop using the Vievu model LE-5 body-worn cameras out of "an abundance of caution."
After retrieving a body cam for deployment on Saturday, an officer on midnight patrol noticed smoke coming from the bottom portal and immediately removed it. Shortly after the officer safely took off the body cam, the device exploded.
It was found that the camera set fire after its battery ignited. The department is currently investigating the cause of the defect. The officer did not sustain any injuries following the explosion.
"Nothing is more important than the safety of our officers, and equipping the NYPD with the best equipment is a paramount priority," Deputy Commissioner for Public Information James P. O'Neil said in a statement.
"All officers assigned LE-5 cameras were instructed to remove the cameras and bring them back to their commands immediately. The Department is in the process of collecting and removing the LE-5 cameras from the commands now," O'Neil added.
"This issue does not pertain to or in any way affect members equipped with Vievu model LE-4 body-worn cameras, and members of the service equipped with LE-4 cameras will continue to use them as required by the Patrol Guide."
There were nearly 3,000 LE-5 cameras in use at the time of the recall, with the NYPD using more than 12,000 other models of body-worn cameras, according to WABC.
"We are working closely with the NYPD to investigate this issue," Vievu's parent company, Axon, said in a statement. "The officer was not injured. However, officer safety is of the utmost importance to Axon. We will do whatever is necessary to quickly and safely resolve this situation."
In January, the NYPD announced plans to equip all police officers and detectives on patrol with body-worn cameras by the end of 2018—one year ahead of their original deadline.
"Body cameras have helped guide a new day in policing, bolstering transparency and increasing accountability. Now we're accelerating their expansion," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement at the time. "By ensuring all patrol officers are outfitted with these essential, modern policing tools a year faster than originally planned, we're helping to make New York City fairer faster, and growing trust between police and communities."
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