Pistol Cam shoots while you shoot

Backed by positive reviews from Orange County's SWAT team, the $695 Pistol Cam affixes to handguns and records up to an hour of MPEG4 audio and video.

Taking bets: how long until the first "missing footage" scandal from a botched raid?

Pistolcams [Wired via Chipchick via UberGizmo

[#1 posted by Patrick Austin , June 26, 2008 7:11 AM]

Man, there's going to be some screwed up shit on liveleak in a few years.

[#2 posted by Marcel , June 26, 2008 8:18 AM]

Better yet, tie this in with Cory Doctorrow's story about remote controlled overrides here:

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/06/26/designing-devices-to.html

What if you don't just attach a camera, but also a function that let's a third party decide whether and when the gun will discharge?!
Wouldn't that be nifty? I'm talking to you, CIA, FBI, NSA, DHS. You know you want it, remote control.
And hey, not to open a can of legal worms here, but it would make any kill potentialy no signature. So zero accountability.

[#3 posted by strider_mt2k , June 26, 2008 10:24 AM]

Where's the camera that puts an image into this one when it sees the flash?

[#4 posted by geo the moose , June 26, 2008 10:45 AM]

this way you dont need to hold that pesky camera when you are terrorizing your murder victims...nice!

[#5 posted by szielins , June 26, 2008 12:37 PM]

@Marcel : see the Rafael Fernandez short film Oregon.

http://www.spike.com/video/oregon/96286
(First thing shown will be a commercial, unfortunately-- but it will then cut into th film itself.)

[#6 posted by strumpet windsock , June 26, 2008 1:09 PM]

Hey, just like that movie "Peeping Tom"

I suppose you could also use it to spotlight deer.

[#7 posted by Anonymous , June 26, 2008 3:41 PM]

I can't wait for the flickr channel for gun photos.

[#8 posted by RJ , June 26, 2008 5:45 PM]

I can almost hear Perry Como singing "Magic Moments" while flipping through a government photo album...

[#9 posted by Ingmar , June 27, 2008 2:06 AM]

Why does everybody think this is a bad idea, or make fun of it? Seriously, it can be used to show that an officer identified himself, fired a warning shot, was threatened, whatever -- or not.

I'd be rather more worried about "spontaneous malfunctions". This should be compulsory for all law enforcement personnel.

[#10 posted by PFlint , June 27, 2008 9:51 AM]

Liveleak? I'm thinking "YouTube":

"Check out this guy's reaction to getting fired upon! It's lulz!"

Hahahaha... heh... huh.

[#11 posted by Anonymous , June 27, 2008 7:28 PM]

Marcel, that's basically the plot of Metal Gear Solid 4.

[#12 posted by padster123 , June 28, 2008 3:18 PM]

Yep. as per strumpet windsock, Peeping Tom. GREAT movie. Obviously half a century ahead of its time. Ended Powell's career. But a great movie.

[#13 posted by oo0oo , June 29, 2008 2:49 AM]

@Ingmar - As a Peace Officer (Deputy Sheriff) in Colorado myself, I agree with you on everything except for the warning shot. In Law Enforcement in Colorado, you only fire your duty weapon in a kill or be killed situation. If you fire a warning shot but end up arresting the subject afterwards with no resisting on their part, the Officer could be charged with Felony Menacing.

We now have Tasers, OC (Pepper Spray), collapsible batons and other less-than-lethal options (eg: bean bags from a shotgun), and most Officers I would hope have half a mind on how to cope with a situation they encounter in a legally, morally and ethically correct way. Obviously the news glorify the ones who don't so we know this isn't the case.

On a side note, there are Taser cams, and I've seen footage online, although I'm not sure where taken from them. Most of the Taser firings you see online are from a third party, but there is a camera/battery pack which is seated into the bottom of the Taser itself and records everything. I've yet to buy the cam for mine as they're over $400 out of my own pocket.

I welcome as much usable/traceable, yet secure new technology into Law Enforcement as it becomes available.

</rant>

[#14 posted by Anonymous , November 14, 2008 6:52 PM]

yeah real smart...record death and carnage so you can relive that mistake over and over... Share it with your families at Christmas... Idiots.