US police officer's body camera records him abusing a corpse

The officer thought his body camera was turned off. Photo / AP

A US police officer has been placed on leave after a random check of footage from his body camera discovered him fondling a dead woman's breasts.

The veteran Los Angeles Police Department officer responded to a call last month regarding a woman at an LA residence whom the caller believed to be dead.

Attending the scene with another officer, the accused was alone in a room with the victim while his colleague retrieved paperwork from the car.

According to LAPD officials, he then turned off his body camera and "inappropriately touched the woman's body".

However, the device is designed to continue recording for two minutes after it is switched off and was still rolling when he is alleged to have committed the act.

Wave3 news in Los Angeles reports that sources say the video shows the officer fondling the dead woman's breasts.

After his shift that day he turned in his camera, as per police protocol, and it was only picked up by a random inspection.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore and the police union had only begun randomly checking body camera footage a month ago.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League released a statement on the case, saying: "If this allegation is true, then the behaviour exhibited by this officer is not only wrong but extremely disturbing and does not align with the values we, as police officers, hold dear.

"These values include respect and reverence for the deceased. This behaviour has no place in law enforcement."