Viridian Weapon-Mounted Camera Documents Critical Situations
The Viridian weapon-mounted camera system, called the FACT Duty, is designed to help document potentially deadly confrontations. It literally brings new meaning to the phrase, “shooting video.”
The FACT Duty mounts on the accessory rail of a handgun. It features a powerful white light. A laser sight is available too. But what makes it unusual is its built-in HD camera that records both audio and video.
Weapon-Mounted Cameras Aid Police
Naturally, these Viridian weapon-mounted cameras are attracting the interest of law enforcement agencies across the country. Recently, footage from a Viridian weapon-mounted camera was used in the prosecution of armed subject in Texas.
That footage also served to show that the officer in the police-involved shooting of that subject was justified.
In that case, the jury convicted the defendant of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on a public official. The weapon-mounted camera provided critical evidence in the case by showing the defendant pointing a sawed-off shotgun at Vernon, Texas Police Corporal T.J. Session.
Other Agencies Opting For Viridian Cameras
The Sheriff’s office in Kit Carson County has become the first police agency in Colorado to equip its sworn deputies with these FACT Duty cameras. That sheriff’s office is tasked with patrolling more than 2,000 square miles that includes the border with Kansas.
A weapon-mounted camera provides an unobstructed view of critical use-of-force events from the end of the firearm, addressing limitations officers can face with body cameras.
“Our technology can be a supplement or alternative to body cameras as a mandatory evidentiary tool to provide the critical evidence in an officer-involved shooting,” said Viridian President and CEO Brian Hedeen.
Viridian Camera Activates Automatically
The Viridian Fact Duty features a 1080p full-HD digital camera with a microphone. Viridian’s proprietary Instant-On system automatically activates the camera and microphone whenever the officer draws the firearm from its holster.
By eliminating the need to manually turn on the camera, an officer won’t have to worry about fumbling with the equipment during a critical event. The camera has a clear view of what’s going on in front of an officer.
That remedies a problem often found with body cameras, which tend to have their view obstructed when an officer has his gun drawn. The cost over time is much less with these weapon-mounted cameras compared to current body cameras.
FACT Duty has LED Light, Available Laser
This unit is sleek; it takes up no more room than a conventional weapon light. It attaches quickly and easily to the gun’s Picatinny accessory rail and requires no modification to the weapon. A handgun with camera mounted will fit standard Safariland holsters designed for guns with weapon-mounted lights.
These cameras incorporate a bright 500-lumen white LED light.
One model is available with a green laser sight visible in a wide range of lighting conditions.
The unit is powered by a removable batter pack that is USB rechargeable. The FACT Duty is designed to withstand hard-use and is waterproof.
Cameras Should Be Welcomed By Officers
Yes, some officers might be apprehensive initially about an added level of technology that documents their actions. Today’s society loves to sit back with a critical eye after the fact to judge an officer’s split-second life or death decisions.
But in my experience, officers will eventually embrace this new technology. More often than not it will be the new technology, such as that found in the Viridian FACT Duty weapon-mounted camera, that will defend and vindicate the actions of officers on the front lines.
The only drawback I see is that if these weapon-mounted cameras are used alone, there will be no documentation of the escalation of force or preventative steps attempted in situations that eventually lead to an officer drawing his weapon in the first place.
Viridian Weapon Technologies, maker of the FACT Duty, is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company is also known for its red and green laser sights and LED weapon lights. For more information on the FACT Duty, go to ViridianWeaponTech.com.
Steven Paul Barlow is a retired sergeant/station commander and former firearms instructor with the New York State Police. He is an avid hunter, fisherman, and enthusiast with all things related to firearms, knives, and survival. He has been writing on outdoor topics for more than 35 years. His collections of outdoor humor stories are available at BriarHill Books.