The New York City Department of Corrections is temporarily suspending the use of body cameras after a female employee suffered burns and smoke inhalation last week when hers suddenly caught fire.
The Rikers Island correctional officer, a captain who has not been identified, was rushed to Mount Sinai Friday when his body camera caught fire. The corrections department said it was in contact with the camera’s manufacturer to investigate the cause of the fire.
Corrections Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie said in a statement that her thoughts were with the injured officer.
“The safety of our staff is paramount, which is why I am removing all body-worn cameras from service out of an abundance of caution while we investigate how and why this incident occurred,” Maginley-Liddie said.
While this is a first for the Department of Corrections, it is at least the second time since 2018 that a New York City law enforcement officer has seen a body camera catch fire .
The NYPD suspended use of the Vievu model LE-5 body camera in 2018 after an officer discovered she was smoking. According to NBC New York, the camera exploded shortly after the officer removed it from his body and no injuries were reported.
A similar incident occurred with Axon AB2 model cameras in 2021, when an officer also removed the camera when it started smoking. Axon confirmed at the time it was investigating after the device allegedly overheated, NBC New York reported.
NBC News contacted the manufacturer of the device worn by the corrections officer, but the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
