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Police Body Cameras Research Paper

1823 Words8 Pages

It’s no secret that everyone holds their own opinion regarding the actions of police officers and other positions of authority within these past years, be it positive or negative. From the shootings of innocent and unarmed civilians to disciplinary action being taken against those that haven’t done anything unlawful, there’s rarely a day when the police force of the United States doesn’t find itself involved in some sort of controversy. No matter what side people find themselves supporting in these instances, be it the police or the civilian, it’s true that both sides can benefit from the use of these police body cameras.
Police body cameras hold one main purpose and that’s to deteriorate the ever-present risk of unnecessary aggression on …show more content…

One of the more widely renowned cases in which a body camera would have been useful is the case of Michal Slager. Slager is a former police officer of South Carolina. The reason that it’s important to put emphasis on the word “former” is that he was recently involved in a murder trial. Slager had shot a black man named Walter Scott. Slager’s justification for shooting Scott was that Scott had stolen his taser and had attempted to attack Slager with it. This was heavily backed by the police department and nobody seemed to question the truth and sincerity of his statements. After demonstrating to the court exactly how Scott had attacked him, a new piece of evidence was bestowed upon the judge and jury. This piece of evidence proved to be the most crucial, as it had finally shone some light on a case that would have been falsely ruled. This evidence was a video that was taken by a passerby. The footage showed Scott as he attempts to make a getaway before Slager took aim and fired multiple rounds into Scott as his back was turned. Once incapacitated, Slager is seen approaching the lifeless body of Walter Scott and planting his taser nearby. Of course, it’s easy to see that Slager’s story does not match up with the truth. After being shocked by the massive differences between Slager’s story and what the video showed to be true, Slager was then tried and found guilty of the murder of Walter Scott (“Former South Carolina Police Officer”). Had the benefits of a body camera been …show more content…

So many lives could be saved and so many police officers’ careers could be saved through the utilization of this idea and the reaping of its benefits. Whether it captures a citizen attack on a police officer or whether it captures a case of police brutality, the great possibilities outweigh the potential cons of police body cameras and make them a risk worth taking. Whether one takes the side of the citizens and believe the police are typically irrational or one takes the side of the police and believe they are only doing their jobs to the best of their ability, the incorporation of body cameras to the controversial police force would be extremely beneficial for

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