Allegan County deputies complete bodycam training in aftermath of fatal shooting

ALLEGAN — In the days after an Allegan County deputy shot and killed a man during a June traffic stop, there was concern over a lack of video documentation because the deputy who fired the fatal shot wasn't wearing a body camera and his cruiser had no dashcam.

More:Prosecutor: Deputy justified in shooting man during traffic stop in Allegan County

The deputy who crossed paths with Joseph Nagle, 22, that deadly June night wasn't equipped with a body-worn camera because — even though the Allegan County Sheriff's Department had just purchased about 75 cameras — that particular deputy hadn't yet been trained on how to use one.

“We were trying to do our best to get them out in the field as soon as we could,” Allegan County Sheriff Frank Baker said.

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If the same incident happened today, there'd be video — because the training process is complete and all Allegan patrol deputies and sergeants now wear cameras.

“We know it’s the best way to be transparent," Baker said. "We know it’s the best way to provide the best evidence. We know it’s going to be helpful in the prosecution of our cases. When somebody’s looking at the video, it’s hard to dispute what took place."

ACSO is also equipping some corrections officers with bodycams. Baker says the more transparency the better, for all involved.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Allegan County deputies complete training on bodycam use