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Robinson Meyer writes in The Atlantic that in the past year, after the killings of Michael Brown and Tamir Rice, many police departments and police reformists have agreed on the necessity of police-worn body cameras. But the most powerful cameras aren’t those on officer’s bodies but those wielded by bystanders. We don’t yet know who shot videos of officer officer, Michael T. Slager, shooting Walter Scott eight times as he runs away but "unknown cameramen and women lived out high democratic ideals: They watched a cop kill someone, shoot recklessly at someone running away, and they kept the camera trained on the cop," writes Robinson. "They were there, on an ordinary, hazy Saturday morning, and they chose to be courageous. They bore witness, at unknown risk to themselves."
“We have been talking about police brutality for years. And now, because of videos, we are seeing just how systemic and widespread it is,” tweeted Deray McKesson, an activist in Ferguson, after the videos emerged Tuesday night. “The videos over the past seven months have empowered us to ask deeper questions, to push more forcefully in confronting the system.” The process of ascertaining the truth of the world has to start somewhere. A video is one more assertion made about what is real concludes Robinson. "Today, through some unknown hero’s stubborn internal choice to witness instead of flee, to press record and to watch something terrible unfold, we have one more such assertion of reality."
Update: NBC News has identified the cameraman as Feidin Santana.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by PinkyGigglebrain on Thursday April 09 2015, @12:47AM
Until the cop is actually convicted and put in jail he has "gotten away with it".
I've seen the video.
If it had been anyone other than a cop pulling the trigger the local DA would be all over the news saying he was going to seek the death penalty, if the shooter wasn't already dead in a hail of police gunfire that is.
Until this cop gets at least the same, or more for betraying the "Public Trust", punishment for this that anyone else would he has "gotten away with it".
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 0, Flamebait) by frojack on Thursday April 09 2015, @12:59AM
I'm sure if you were in charge the cop would be swinging from rope already.
He's fired.
He's in Jail on a Murder charge.
There is no Blue line of silence protecting him.
His Dash Cam footage is going to show equally incriminating evidence.
There is no way you can call this "Getting Away With It". You seem to be lobbying for vigilante justice here.
I suggest you Shut your mouth and let the process take its course.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 09 2015, @02:03AM
>> the local DA would be all over the news saying he was going to seek the death penalty,
>> Until this cop gets at least the same,
>
> You seem to be lobbying for vigilante justice here.
That is one weird definition of vigilante you have there.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by gnuman on Thursday April 09 2015, @02:17AM
His Dash Cam footage is going to show equally incriminating evidence.
I'm sorry, but what? A man is dead because police officer shot him without justification. And you are implying that they did not review dashboard camera footage first? How is this possible?
If police action is not to review dash cam footage immediately after such an incident, then I don't know, to me it speak worse of the police body than if that guy tampered with the recording. What you are saying that the police didn't give a damn about the dead civilian enough to even look at the video as it could incriminate the police officer.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 09 2015, @02:25AM
In Dallas the cops have 72 hours to watch the video themselves and get their stories straight [techdirt.com] before they have to go on the record with their version of events.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 09 2015, @06:07AM
The fact that this didn't come out on its own due to the dash cam video before the police reports were released is strongly suggestive of an intentional higher up coverup.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 09 2015, @12:20PM
Probably not a deliberate cover-up, just a set of procedures that don't require verifying the officer's word. 10 to 1 when they put the dashcams in they simply didn't bother to update their process to use them as a matter of course. Neglect, extremely convenient neglect, but still just neglect that 'just' happens to favor the police.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday April 09 2015, @06:32PM
The footage released so far was from a private citizen that sent it the family's lawyer, the press, and maybe the investigating department.
Note: The shooting was investigated by a DIFFERENT police department which is the standard now in the US.
The Dash cam footage also caught the shooting. But that is in the hands of the different police department and the prosecutor.
Gnuman: Learn to parse english. Nowhere did I say that the dash cam had not been reviewed, seized, put under lock and key. Nowhere. Climb down. And maybe read the news once in a while?
The Different police department has shown that footage to the prosecutor, and perhaps the family's lawyer, and people who have seen it have leaked to the press that it captures the entire event.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.