Footage from police body camera used as evidence in Fredericton shooting

One of the Fredericton police officers who responded to the scene of the Friday morning shooting on BrooksideDrive was wearing a body camera, gathering evidence that will bepart of the investigation.

Constables Robb Costello, 45, and SaraBurns, 43, were killed whileresponding toreports of gunfire at an apartment complex on the 200 block ofBrooksideDriveat7:10 a.m. AT on Friday.

They were shot as they approached two civilians who were lying on the ground. DonnieRobichaud, 42, and Bobbie Lee Wright, 32, also died in the shooting Friday.

Fredericton Police Chief Leanne Fitch confirmed Monday during a late afternoon newsconference that an officer had a body camera on but would not confirm if it was Costello or Burns.

"There was a body [camera] video and that is part of the evidence that our investigators are looking at," she said.

Fitch said she could not get into any specifics because it's part of the ongoing investigation.

But later in the news conference, Deputy Chief Martin Gaudet said one of the officers involved in the shooting was wearing a camera.

"The evidence has been downloaded and provided to the RCMPfor their investigation."

Equipment in use earlier than planned

Fredericton police officers startedwearing the body cameras in July after the department received the equipment earlier than expected.

The original plan was to start using the cameras in September but sixofficers wereassigned to wear them beginning inmid-July.

Under theforce's policy, the officersactivate the cameras when responding to a call orwhen they "come across an incident requiring investigation."

The department's plan was to assign threecamerasto platoon officers, who work four days in a row two day shifts and two night shiftsthen get four days off. Theother three cameras were planned to beassigned to traffic officers, whowork 10-hour shifts, both days and evenings.

Gaudet said at the time of the early roll out of the body cameras he hoped the department would be getting more so all frontline officers would be equipped with one.

Fredericton police wore the cameras for 90 days before making the decision to purchase the equipment with funding approved by city council.