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VieVu Sues Taser Over Phoenix Police Body-Camera Contract

A competitor has sued Scottsdale-based Taser International over a contract for the Phoenix Police Department’s body camera program.

Seattle-based VieVu initially won the contract to supply the Phoenix Police Department with its body cameras in 2016. But after the City Council delayed awarding the contract, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams announced in January that the contract would be re-bid.

VieVu is alleging in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Maricopa County Superior Court that Taser illegally lobbied Phoenix officials in a manner that violated procurement rules.

VieVu spokesman John Collins says they beat Taser fair and square. “And then after the fact, they went ahead and tried to skirt the rules by both pressuring elected officials and offering gifts to reopen the process,” Collins said.

Taser does not deny the contacts with Phoenix city officials.

Collins says the Phoenix Police Department should not allow Taser to re-bid on the contract. The city says the new request for proposals will be open to all contractors.

VieVu Lawsuit

Jimmy Jenkins was a producer and senior field correspondent at KJZZ from 2014 to 2021.