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Video: Body cameras can protect civilians from cops — and cops from civilians

by German Lopez
A Washington, DC, police officer wears a body camera.
A Washington, DC, police officer wears a body camera.
A Washington, DC, police officer wears a body camera.
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Body cameras for police officers have been touted by advocates, particularly in the wake of the August 9 police shooting of Michael Brown, as an essential tool to protect civilians from police abuse. And while many police departments are skeptical of their use, body cameras can protect police officers as well.

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, body camera footage exonerated a police officer after a 23-year-old woman said he sexually assaulted her during a drunk driving stop, local news station KOB 4 reported.

Historically, video footage of police and civilian interaction has been an extremely important type of evidence in police abuse cases, and it’s particularly useful for a civilian, whose side is often not given as much weight as police officer’s in a he-said, she-said situation.

Watch this three-minute video to learn how video evidence has been integral in cases of police abuse over the past 25 years:

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