Abstract
August 9, 2014 is not a date most remember as being significant, but the events that day transformed standard police practices. Michael Brown and a friend were walking down the middle of a street in Ferguson, Missouri when a police officer told them to use the sidewalk. Words were traded and a clash ensued that led to the police officer shooting Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American teen. Individuals dispute how the events unfolded. However, two things are clear: the officer was not wearing a body camera, and the policy account differed from eyewitness testimony. The incident caused protests to erupt that engulfed the region for weeks. Several months later, a grand jury voted not to charge the officer. This decision caused renewed demonstration, violence, fires, and gunshots. Marches of support mushroomed across the nation: from Boston to Chicago to New York City, people flooded the streets to insist upon change from the government. President Obama subsequently addressed the nation and noted that “the racial strains exposed by the turmoil in Ferguson,” show that “a deep distrust exists between law enforcement and communities of color” but the events are no excuse for violence. As one commentator noted, “[O]ne immediate lesson from Ferguson is that the police should be collecting more evidence all of the time – by means of body cameras worn by police officers.”
Last Page
51
Recommended Citation
Samuel D. Hodge, Jr. & Rachel Ortiz,
Police Body Cameras - A Lesson in Objectivity and Accountability or a Tool Without a Scientific Basis?,
27
Rich. J.L. & Tech
1
(2024).
Available at:
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/jolt/vol27/iss2/1