Videos of Myrtle Beach shooting circulate online. Where is police footage?

Since one person was killed and 11 others were injured in the Saturday night shooting downtown, videos from social media users have circulated online. The Myrtle Beach Police Department (MBPD), however, hasn’t released footage from involved officers’ body-worn cameras or real-time cameras.

Despite the department’s cameras, in a Facebook post Sunday, the MBPD asked people with video footage of the incident to come forward.

One now-deleted, widely circulated Facebook video depicted officers over deceased 18-year-old Jerrius David and assisting a woman shouting for help. The officer has his “KNEE IN HIS KNECK,” the caption read in part.

Three officers involved in the incident have been placed on paid administrative leave. It’s unclear whether the MBPD will release the body-worn camera footage from the incident and, at the time of publication, the department did not return requests for comment.

The Sun News submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the body camera footage, but the department doesn’t have to release the video, according to MBPD Administrative Regulations and Operating Procedures.

Law enforcement agencies, the State Law Enforcement Division, attorney general or a circuit solicitor must receive the footage if requested, but the public can’t obtain the footage, even through FOIA requests.

Accountability isn’t one of the MBPD’s primary objectives in using body-worn cameras.

According to the regulations and procedures, the cameras serve to “enhance the accuracy of officer reports and testimony,” as well as document crimes and other events, provide training and help the MBPD’s review interactions, evidence and probable cause for arrest.

Beyond body camera footage, the MBPD has hundreds of cameras around the city for its Real Time Crime Center. The Sun News submitted a FOIA request for Real Time Crime Center camera footage downtown on North Ocean Boulevard for Saturday night.

“There’s not a lot of places where there aren’t cameras,” MBPD public information officer Randolph Angotti said at the time.

It’s unclear how many of these cameras record the downtown area, as the MBPD did not respond to questions. According to previous reporting from The Sun News, the department operates more than 800 cameras with more than 1600 camera views.

The Real Time Crime Center project began in 2015 with 600 cameras and 15 license plate readers for more than $2 million. According to Angotti, the city spends $237,712 annually for new cameras and maintenance.

Following those numbers, the total cost for the Real Time Crime Center tallies more than $4 million, though the MBPD did not respond to questions about costs.

This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 4:54 PM.