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Detroit police commissioners raise concerns over lack of body cameras worn by officers

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Detroit police commissioners raise concerns over lack of body cameras worn by officers


(CBS DETROIT) — The Detroit Board of Police Commissioner has some serious concerns. One commissioner said situations continue to arise involving officers not wearing their body cams or turning them off.  

“It needs to be an increase in supervisors’ review as well as continuing audits of the body-worn cameras,” Commissioner Willie Burton told CBS News Detroit.

Burton alleges that the board continues to see concerns about body cameras not being worn. He said the most recent instance happened at a recent pro-Palestinian protest after a lieutenant was heard telling a woman to go back to Mexico.

“But there have been other situations where there’s a peaceful protest in the City of Detroit where officers weren’t wearing body-worn cameras a few years back, so now it’s becoming a growing issue,” Burton said.

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Detroit police first began wearing body cameras in 2016 as part of a pilot program. CBS News Detroit is told that having officer interactions visually on record can clear many misunderstandings. 

“It really puts us in a tough spot when it comes to lawsuits and things of that nature. All of this can be preventable if we just ensure that our supervisors are getting on the members,” Burton said.

With over 2,000 officers, Burton alleges some officers have been repeat offenders by not wearing their cameras. He’s unclear, though, on how often audits are conducted on body cameras.

“We do have good officers on this force. Some just don’t want to adhere to the policy,” he said.

Live: so we were hoping to interview someone from the department to clear things up.

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CBS News Detroit asked the Detroit Police Department about the concerns from Burton. The department issued the following statement:

“The Department is aware of the concern raised by the Board of Police Commissioners regarding a failure on the part of some officers to activate their body cameras. While the Board has raised these concerns, the Department is not aware of any systemic issues related to non-use of body cameras amongst its personnel. Those who are found not using their body cameras are subject to corrective action. Moreover, as each officer on a car is mandated to wear a body-worn camera, in instances where one member fails to activate his or her camera, footage is captured by the other member’s device.

“The Department has invested millions of dollars in body-worn camera technology. Every member is issued a camera, and the Department has instituted strong policy mandating their use. While prior audits and inspections have not revealed any form of widespread patterns of non-use, the Department will conduct an audit of BWC compliance in an effort to be responsive to the Board’s concern on this issue.”

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Detroit, MI

Murder charge filed in aftermath of altercation outside Detroit bar

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Murder charge filed in aftermath of altercation outside Detroit bar



Murder and two related charges have been filed against a Detroit man in the aftermath of an altercation that left one man dead and his brother seriously injured. 

Michael Alan Harris, 42, of Detroit was arraigned Tuesday in 36th District Court of Detroit on charges of first-degree murder, felony firearm and resisting and obstructing a police officer, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said. 

The charges are related to the fatal shooting of Jalen Coats Stevens, 28, of Detroit, Worthy said. Stevens was pronounced dead at the scene of an altercation early Sunday in the 15900 block of Grand River Avenue. 

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During the altercation, Stevens’ brother, Glenn, was stabbed over a dozen times but survived. He has been in the hospital since. Hundreds of people gathered for a vigil hosted by the Stevens family Tuesday night outside of Chita’s Nefertiti bar. The brothers were celebrating a work promotion for Jalen Saturday night before the altercation erupted. 

While it was known by Tuesday night that one person was in custody, the family asked the public and police to continue working on the investigation, as the person who had stabbed Glenn had not been located. 

In the meantime, Harris is scheduled for a probable cause conference Jan. 14, and a preliminary exam is set for Jan. 21. 


The above video originally aired Jan. 6.



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The first Detroit Lions OC candidate has emerged

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The first Detroit Lions OC candidate has emerged


Blough is only two years into his coaching career after retiring from playing after the 2023 season. He has spent the last two seasons as the Washington Commanders’ assistant quarterbacks coach, helping young quarterback Jayden Daniels emerge as a strong franchise player for Washington. Late in the 2025 season, Commanders quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard took the Stanford head coaching job, leaving Blough to serve as the interim quarterbacks coach for the rest of the season.

While backing up Jared Goff in Detroit, Blough was often described by the coaching staff as an excellent backup and strong offensive mind.

“I love the kid, if I’m being totally honest with you,” Campbell said back in 2021. “He’s just a little football player. And when I say that, I mean that in the highest regard. Look, he’s smart. He’s extremely smart. He knows where to go with the football, I love his timing. He knows how to command the huddle, he communicates well and on top of that, he’s a hell of a dude, by the way. He just is. So, he has not disappointed. He’s doing a good job. He’s out there competing with the rest of those guys.”

As of now, this is the only known candidate for the Lions’ offensive coordinator position, but it’s still early in the process. When more candidates emerge, we’ll have a tracker so you can see all of the names in one place.

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Popular Detroit sports columnist announces stage 4 cancer diagnosis

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Popular Detroit sports columnist announces stage 4 cancer diagnosis


Longtime Detroit sports radio host and columnist Pat Caputo has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, he announced Monday.

Caputo, a host on Detroit’s 97.1 The Ticket, last published a column on Nov. 7. On Monday, he explained the reason behind his absence.

“For those wondering where I’ve been: I have been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, commonly referred to as a “death sentence” and had two other serious ailments which put me in ICU for several days,” Caputo wrote in a post to X. “It was sudden. I’ve literally been on my back for weeks. Bless you all.”

Caputo, 66, became a well-known personality in Detroit sports media during his time as an award-winning columnist for The Oakland Press from 1983-2020, according to the Detroit Free Press. He also was previously part of WXYT’s “Evening Sports” broadcast, and is an official voter for the Baseball Hall of Fame and college football’s Heisman Trophy award, according to his X bio.

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Caputo is nicknamed “The Book” for his impressive memory retaining sports stats and information, according to FOX 2 in Detroit, where he has been a regular guest on its “Sports Works” broadcast.

Caputo’s social media announcement regarding his health drew support from fellow sports media professionals, including Brad Galli, sports director at WXYZ Detroit, and ESPN’s Dan Wetzel and Dave Pasch.

“Pat, we’re praying for [you],” Galli wrote. “Awful awful awful to read this, man. God bless you.”

“Legend. Stay strong my friend. So much support out here for you,” Wetzel posted.

“Book, praying for you my friend. So sorry to hear this,” Pasch wrote.

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