Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Body Cameras and the Ferguson Problem: Video won’t convince people who aren’t moved by facts.
National Review ^ | 12/02/2014 | Mona Charen

Posted on 12/02/2014 9:02:00 AM PST by SeekAndFind

In the immediate aftermath of Michael Brown’s shooting, before we learned that he had not been shot in the back, that he had not had his hands up, that he had, in fact, attempted to grab Officer Wilson’s gun, I wrote in favor of requiring more police to wear body cameras. Assuming nothing about Wilson’s guilt or innocence, I wrote: “Cameras cannot repeal aggression, bias, rage, or stupidity — but they can certainly diminish them. And with cameras, justice for the guilty — cop or civilian — is more attainable.”

In the wake of the grand jury’s decision not to indict Wilson, Michael Brown’s parents have called for police to wear body cameras. I remain in favor, but the outright denial displayed by so many opinion leaders in this case makes me doubtful that even video evidence will be enough to calm the next storm if the victim of violence is black and the perpetrator white.

There was video evidence in this case: the convenience-store robbery and strong-arming of the owner. Any fair-minded person would concede that while the footage didn’t prove that Brown attacked Officer Wilson a few minutes later, it did severely undermine the legend that was being spun of Brown as a “gentle giant.” Yet most commentators on the left either ignored the store footage or suggested that it was irrelevant. Missouri’s governor denounced the release of the video as a form of character assassination.

For reasons best known to themselves, Ferguson authorities chose to withhold Officer Wilson’s account of the fatal encounter for many weeks. Arguably, this silence permitted the legend of a brutal, unprovoked attack on an “unarmed black man” to proliferate more than it otherwise might have.

Still, by October, word had leaked to a number of news organizations about the three autopsy reports on Michael Brown’s body. The reports proved conclusively that Brown was not shot in the back, did not have his hands up, and had been shot at close range on one hand (consistent with Wilson’s story about a struggle for his gun in the patrol car). He also had enough THC in his body to cause hallucinations.

Again, fair-minded people, presented with this evidence, would give Wilson a hearing.

Finally, in the weeks leading up to the grand jury’s decision, reports surfaced that multiple African-American eyewitnesses corroborated Wilson’s account of the events that day in their testimony. There was a bullet hole in the police car. Brown’s DNA was found inside the police car and on Wilson’s body.

Lovers of the racist-cop storyline swatted these inconvenient facts away, noting that there was “conflicting testimony.” Well, yes. But the testimony of those whose accounts were at variance with the forensic evidence — such as those who testified that Brown’s hands were over his head when he was killed — are not as trustworthy as those whose testimony was consistent with the other evidence.

So who really failed Michael Brown? The “system” that refused to railroad an innocent cop to appease the mob, or the aggrieved parents themselves?

One must sympathize with parents who have lost a child. The image of Lesley McSpadden’s tears is piteous. But her refusal to face reality is also documented. Responding to Darren Wilson’s interview, she said: “I don’t believe a word of it. I know my son far too well; he would never [attack a cop], he would never provoke anyone to do anything to him, and he would never do anything to anybody.” But we have video footage of what happened at the convenience store. Doesn’t that count as provoking someone?

Imagine if footage surfaced from a security camera or cell phone somewhere of Darren Wilson making a racist remark. Would those who stoutly deny that the convenience store video tells us anything relevant about Brown say the same? Of course not. The outcry would shake the rafters. In America today, not all evidence is created equal.

I’m still for cameras on cops. Some police officers abuse their authority, and cameras will diminish that. In other circumstances, the video will provide police with proof that their actions were justified.

But we cannot imagine that body cameras will solve the “Ferguson problem.” Too many are too invested in the white-racism morality play to let facts — even videotaped facts — get in the way.

— Mona Charen is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bodycameras; ferguson; police
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-30 last
To: SeekAndFind

I support putting body cameras on EBT card parasites, deadbeat dads, and illegal dreamers.


21 posted on 12/02/2014 9:50:08 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Mind Reading machines wouldn’t convince the race baiting crowd.


22 posted on 12/02/2014 9:54:59 AM PST by G Larry (Amnesty imposes SLAVE WAGES on LEGAL immigrants & minorities)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TexasFreeper2009

I loved when Stephanopoulos asked him, “Why didn’t you just let him walk away?”, Wilson said something to the affect of, “Because it’s my job”...

Its what cops are paid to do, arrest bad people to prevent them from continuing to hurt society...so we should expect cops to just give up after a struggle and an assault?

Like Bill Ayers calling the Chicago Police when a Fox News camera crew stopped him on the streets...I would have loved to been on the other end of that call...

Nothing shuts up idiots with an ounce of knowledge and a pound of opinion...


23 posted on 12/02/2014 10:04:36 AM PST by IMTOFT (At least I'm enjoying the ride...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

If Officer Wilson had been wearing a body camera, the race baiters would say the video had been faked or altered.


24 posted on 12/02/2014 10:05:56 AM PST by The Great RJ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

In an officer involved shooting, body cameras mounted on the officers chest, will most of the time, not get the footage expected.

Officers are trained to seek “cover” whenever possible, resulting in camera footage of the barrier that the officer has placed between him/herself and the assailant. When cover is not available, officers are trained to hold their firearm with both hands; this will result in body camera footage of the officer’s arms.

This will lead to charges of officers deliberately making sure that footage of their “illegal” actions are not captured.

Officer cameras should really be mounted at the officers eye level, rather than at chest level.


25 posted on 12/02/2014 10:22:39 AM PST by Sergio (An object at rest cannot be stopped! - The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Blood of Tyrants

That’s what it’s all about.

They want to be able to do or get anything they want, without consequences. Hands off, just gimme what I want.

And half the population will continue to bend over for them. All part of the plan.


26 posted on 12/02/2014 10:27:51 AM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I think body cameras for officers is a dandy idea.

Protects both the public from rogue cops and cops from criminals.


27 posted on 12/02/2014 10:53:04 AM PST by servantboy777
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I support body and dash cams for the same reason I support voter ID. It makes it more difficult to cheat.


28 posted on 12/02/2014 11:55:15 AM PST by Vince Ferrer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JudyinCanada

We can not bend American life around lefttards. The cameras will help put race baiting to bed quickly. Like “hands up, don’t shoot” would have been dead in the cradle if Officer Wilson had worn a cam. Bear Brown did not have his hands up.

Even though the Left acts as if facts don’t matter...they do matter and their lies are born in the darkness. Also, there are a few bad cops who will be nailed by cams and the cams will be a deterrent to those who have problems because they will know they are being watched.

When cops are misbehaving, citizens have taken recordings and some States make recording them illegal and sometimes the misbehaving cops are bullies to the people recording them and steal their cameras and even rough them up and/or arrest them. Now they will be recorded systematically. It will help good cops who are decent and respectful (professional), mostly. It will protect police officers from false charges. It should make a difference in promotions as excellent performance is recorded and diminish race-baiting in promotions.


29 posted on 12/02/2014 3:53:44 PM PST by SaraJohnson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: cymbeline

I’m surprised he didn’t have a Taser.

************

....What about his Taser? Wilson wasn’t carrying one. “It is not the most comfortable thing,”
he said. “They are very large; I don’t have a lot of room in the front for it to be positioned.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/11/25/why-darren-wilson-said-he-killed-michael-brown/


30 posted on 12/02/2014 4:19:05 PM PST by deport
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-30 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson