Resident demands release of bodycam and dashcam footage after traffic stop; council asks police chief to meet

A resident urged the Shreveport City Council to release body-worn camera and dashcam footage related to a Feb. 7 traffic stop that the speaker said resulted in use of force, medical treatment and an internal-affairs investigation.

Reagan Bashar (also recorded in the transcript as Reagan Becchera), who gave an address and said she reviewed public records at the city attorney’s office, said records were not properly redacted and that the city was not upholding Louisiana public-records laws in her view. She said the subject of the traffic stop, a woman named Randall, was tased while handcuffed and required surgery the next day; Bashar asked the council to release the footage and clarify whether the involved officer, identified in the transcript as Joe Brown, had been placed on leave.

Chairwoman Taylor asked Police Chief Smith to meet with “Miss Burchard” to answer questions about why public records were not released; the council also directed staff to follow up with the chief’s office to address the transparency concerns. The chair’s request for a meeting was recorded in the meeting but no further internal-affairs details were released to the council at that time.

Why it matters: The speaker framed the request as a public-records and accountability issue; she cited the city police department’s internal-affairs timeline and Louisiana public-records law as grounds for disclosure. Council members asked Chief Smith to meet with the concerned individual and to clarify record-release practices outside the chamber.