Press Release: Supreme Court Swayed by In-Car Video

May 07, 2007

Supreme Court Swayed by In-Car Video

Decatur, IL – In a decision swayed substantially by in-car video, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that police cannot be sued by suspects injured as a result of a high-speed chase in which they are involved.

The court ruled in favor of Deputy Timothy Scott of the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office.. The officer had rammed then 19-year old Victor Harris’ car, knocking his vehicle off the road to end a car chase that, at times, exceeded 100 mph. Harris was paralyzed as a result of the accident.

The Court based its decision in large part to the substantiating evidence provided by the officer’s in-car video. The chase careened over two counties, with video recording Harris accelerating several times over 100 mph and passing over thirty cars, often in no-passing zones.

Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the 8-1 majority opinion overturning a lower court ruling. “Far from being the cautious and controlled driver the lower court depicts, what we see on the video more closely resembles a Hollywood-style car chase of the most frightening sort, placing police officers and innocent bystanders alike at greater risk of serious injury."

Jim Sanner, CEO of Decatur, called the case an important validation of the value of video for law enforcement. Decatur Electronics, Inc. has more than 10,000 video units in officer vehicles worldwide.

“This kind of victory is why Decatur entered the video arena in the first place,” he said. “Video evidence has time and again proven officers make the right choices. It is used to corroborate their actions, defend their behavior and to justify their arrests with evidentiary documentation. As one of the leading manufacturers of digital video for police, we are glad the Court supported this law enforcement tool.”

Decatur Electronics created the first radar for law enforcement in 1955 and has more than 200,000 radar units in use worldwide. The company’s in-car video, Gemini Plus Digital, leads in image quality and ease of use for secure evidence. And the company offers a full line of speed and message trailers, from the OnSite 100 portable dolly to the 3-line variable message sign, the OnSite 450.