Human Rights

Recordings Give Victims Of Police Brutality A Better Chance At Justice

Between 2005 and April 2015, 54 officers were criminally charged for a fatal shooting. A third of the cases involved a recording of the incident.

Recordings Give Victims Of Police Brutality A Better Chance At Justice
Facebook / Alton Sterling
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"I wanted to put it on Facebook and go viral so that the people could see. So that the people could see. I wanted the people to determine who was right and who was wrong," said Lavisha Reynolds, whose boyfriend was shot and killed by police Wednesday.

More and more police interactions are being recorded. Those recordings give victims of police brutality a better chance at justice. 

Between 2005 and April 2015, 54 officers were charged for a fatal shooting while on duty, according to The Washington Post. A third of the cases involved a recording of the incident. 

Cameras can also help vindicate the police in shooting incidents like this shooting in East Texas. The body camera captured the victim pulling a gun on the officers.

SEE MORE: If Philando Castile Followed Traffic Stop Rules, Why Was He Shot?

As for Castile's case, Reynolds explained: "I chose to allow the video to go live 10 seconds before my phone died because I wanted everybody in the world to see what the police do and how they roll. And it's not right."

This video includes clips from TimeFacebookCBSYouTube and the Palestine Herald-Press. Music provided courtesy of APM Music.