Westmoreland DA will review Penn Township police video before public release

The Penn Township commissioners voted Wednesday to allow the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office to review police body camera video before it is released to the public.

Four months after police released body camera video showing an officer shooting a Ligonier Township man, District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli’s office requested in late December that police departments have prosecutors review their footage before it is made public.

Penn Township police Chief John Otto thanked the township commissioners for unanimously approving the agreement.

“I do honestly believe that this is merely an opportunity to work with the district attorney’s office on these critical incidents so that we can move forward quickly and efficiently and get the information out to the public that needs to be released,” Otto said.

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The township will send a copy of the request, the video and any other reports relevant to the footage to the district attorney’s office no more than 10 days after receiving the request, according to a draft of the agreement. The township will still maintain ownership of its police video, Otto said.

North Huntingdon signed a similar pact with Ziccarelli’s office in December.

The agreement is supported by township Solicitor Michael Korns’ office, said attorney Anna Hosack, who stood in for Korns at Wednesday’s meeting.

“With Act 22 requests becoming more and more evident, and with municipalities not having the ability to redact footage and having the software and capabilities and whatnot, it’s truly an asset to have the (agreement) with the DA’s office so that they can prepare those services,” Hosack said.