CPD Begins Body Camera Purchases as Residents Mark Anniversary of Faisal Killing

The City of Cambridge has begun the purchasing process for body-worn cameras as residents commemorate the two-year anniversary of the fatal police shooting of Sayed Faisal.

Faisal — a 20-year-old student at the University of Massachusetts Boston — was fatally shot by a CPD officer in 2023 responding to a report that Faisal was harming himself.

While his death mobilized activists to demand that CPD adopt body cameras, the force has yet to implement the technology despite support from Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine A. Elow and members of the City Council.

On Tuesday, however, city spokesperson Jeremy C. Warnick confirmed in an emailed statement that the city has chosen a vendor for body-worn cameras and has begun the purchasing process.

“In addition, infrastructure modifications that are necessary to support the implementation of the body cameras are currently being made,” he wrote.

CPD has six months to implement the body cameras on their force — a deadline Elow previously set last March, telling The Crimson the department would adopt body cameras in fiscal year 2025.

As the City makes progress, nearly 40 activists and Cambridge residents gathered to commemorate the two-year anniversary of the fatal police shooting of Faisal at the Cambridge Community Center.

Jan. 4 marked two years since CPD officer Liam McMahon shot and killed Faisal while responding to a medical call. McMahon shot Faisal after Faisal refused to drop a knife he was using to cut himself, according to a CPD report. A judge later found McMahon’s actions “objectively reasonable,” and Middlesex District Attorney Marian A. Ryan declined to prosecute him for the shooting.

The vigil, organized by the Boston-based chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the Boston South Asian Coalition, and the Bangladesh Association of New England, included remarks by PSL organizers and two of Faisal’s family members.

Nakiba Minahan, one of Faisal’s cousins, said that, though more than two years have passed since Faisal’s death, “it doesn’t feel like he’s not living anymore.”

“Everything we have in our house reminds us of him,” she added.

Though few of Faisal’s family members were in attendance, PSL organizer Saeed Ahmed shared memories from interviews with relatives.

“He was honest, comfortable, straightforward, helpful and hardworking,” Ahmed said. “Words can do little to describe what a beautiful soul he was and everyone could see that kindness radiated from his eyes.”

As CPD makes progress on its promises, advocates at the vigil stressed the importance of both accountability and remembrance.

“These are real human beings, people that have families, communities that care about them, that remember their names,” PSL organizer Suhail Purkar said. “It’s our responsibility to really honor their legacy to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”

—Staff writer Matan H. Josephy can be reached matan.josephy@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @matanjosephy.

—Staff writer Laurel M. Shugart can be reached at laurel.shugart@thecrimson.com. Follow them on X @laurelmshugart or on Threads @laurel.shugart.