The ▁in - car ▁camera ▁system ▁automatically ▁eng ages ▁both ▁the ▁audio ▁and ▁the ▁video ▁recording ▁when ▁the ▁vehicles ' ▁emer gency ▁roof ▁lights ▁are ▁activ ated " ▁and ▁each ▁vehicle ▁has ▁a ▁front ▁and ▁rear ▁camera ▁and ▁micro phone . ▁City ▁officials ▁initially ▁bl amed ▁a ▁technical ▁problem . ▁It ▁was ▁later ▁revealed ▁that ▁the ▁audio ▁recording ▁equipment ▁in ▁officer ▁Van ▁Dy ke ' s ▁vehicle ▁had ▁been ▁" int ention ally ▁dam aged " ▁according ▁to ▁records ▁from ▁police ▁techn icians . ▁Another ▁car ' s ▁audio ▁was ▁disabled ▁because ▁the ▁micro ph ones ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁glo ve ▁compart ment ▁with ▁the ▁batter ies ▁inserted ▁backwards . ▁For ▁another , ▁a ▁mobile ▁start - up ▁rec order ▁was ▁cor rupted , ▁and ▁a ▁third ▁was ▁processing ▁other ▁video ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁The ▁Sun - Times ▁published ▁that ▁a ▁ser ge ant ▁reported ▁officers ▁throwing ▁their ▁micro ph ones ▁on ▁the ▁roof ▁of ▁the ▁Jefferson ▁Park ▁police ▁station ▁to ▁the ▁In ternal ▁Police ▁Review ▁Author ity ▁a ▁month ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁before ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁the ▁La qu an ▁Mc Donald ▁dash cam ▁video ▁in ▁an ▁apparent ▁protest ▁against ▁being ▁recorded . ▁F rat ernal ▁Order ▁of ▁Police ▁president ▁Dean ▁Ang elo ▁def ended ▁officers ▁in ▁an ▁interview , ▁saying ▁that ▁operator ▁error ▁could ▁be ▁any ▁number ▁of ▁acc idents , ▁adding , ▁" Th ings ▁always ▁trick le ▁down hill ▁so ▁it ▁wind s ▁up ▁the ▁responsibility ▁of ▁the ▁beat ▁officer — G od ▁forb id ▁it ' s