Police oversight committee drops case over deleted arrest footage

Iceland’s Committee on Oversight of Police Work will take no further action over an incident in Reykjanesbær in May, mbl.is reports. A conducted electrical weapon was used during the arrest, after which the man was seriously burned, according to police, when he poured petrol over himself.

Another member of the public witnessed the incident and recorded part of it. News reports later said police had ordered the person to delete the recording.

The committee began examining the case following media coverage and requested further information from the Suðurnes police commissioner’s office.

The office said the incident had been challenging for the officers involved. It acknowledged that officers had demanded the civilian delete the footage, describing the instructions as a mistake.

The office said the correct procedure would have been to seize the phone, copy the footage as evidence and then return the device to its owner. There was no legal authority to order members of the public to delete footage of police operations, it said.

The office said the officers had intended only to protect the sensitive personal interests, human dignity and privacy of the seriously injured man.

It also said officers had been reminded that police may not demand the deletion of footage recorded by civilians. If footage has evidential value, officers may seize the phone when there is a possible investigative interest.

In light of the police commissioner’s response, the committee said there was no reason to take further action.