I have never been able to wrap my head around the situation where a handful of cops gun down a suspect brandishing a knife. You see it in the news from time to time. I understand that the police are trained to do it but it's always seemed absurdly excessive to me. Why doesn't one officer just tackle the guy from behind? Is it risky? Sure. Is killing the guy a better choice, NO!
It seems to me a camera in every pocket is going to force the police to become more nuanced in their responses. First off, people in authority are going to have to recognize the peoples rights to record them. Second, once this all captures the public's imagination-- and police abuse of wiretapping laws to supress their methods will eventually cause that-- the debate will begin. In fact, I think those helmet cams the London Drunk Police wear are fantastic. No matter who does the recording it will become the norm to more clearly document how situations go down. Many people will realize there are many options between cuff and shoot. There have to be more training options and tools made available to officers.
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