Police Withhold Videos of Minnesota Shooting
Protesters in Minneapolis are requesting that videos be released that might shed light on the circumstances surrounding the death of a 24 year old black man, Jamar ONeal Clark. The man was fatally shot early Sunday morning by police during a scuffle. According to police, the incident occurred after they had responded to a report of an assault. While paramedics were attending to the assault victim, they were interfered with by a second man who was then shot by police who intervened. Some bystanders reported that the man had already been handcuffed when he was shot. Protesters in Minneapolis are asking for the release of partial videos that are reportedly available from bystanders, a public housing camera, an ambulance, a mobile police camera, and an Elks Club across the street. With national attention still focused on racial tensions and events in Ferguson, Baltimore, and elsewhere, should video evidence involving apprehensions by law enforcement be made available to the public? Or would this promote more tensions between proponents of the Black Lives Matter movement and law enforcement, possibly contributing to unsafe conditions?
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No these videos should be made available to the public because they need to know the truth no matter what it is. If we are truly a free country then the populace needs to be able to see all the evidence since this happened in our own country and they have a fundamental right to know exactly what happened.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the video doesn't clearly show whether or not Clark was handcuffed when he was shot. I understand why the Department of Public Safety doesn't want to release the video to the public - it will definitely increase tensions, even if it only appears that he was handcuffed - but I still think they should release it. Even if he wasn't handcuffed, Clark was unarmed, and he shouldn't have been shot.
ReplyDeleteThese videos should be released to the public, the police should definitely not be allowed to withhold evidence such as this. While I think that police forces in general have received much more negative attention than they deserve, there have been far too many incidents like this. The release of the videos would proabably cause increased tensions, but I think that there is still a ways to go before we will be able to start reversing the effects of racial tensions in this country.
ReplyDeleteThe videos should be released- if the police are claiming they didn't commit any wrongdoing, there shouldn't be an issue. Like Julia, I agree that maybe holding the footage was wise because of all the controversy and upset and riots with police brutality recently. There are also people who would pose conspiracies and point out falsities in the videos to rile up a crowd- many issues could come of releasing the video.
ReplyDeleteThe videos should be released. The riots will occur whether or not the truth is clear- the best thing to do is be transparent. It can only help the situation. If Clark was handcuffed when he was shot, there should be severe disciplinary action. The video might help to clear up if the shooting was unwarranted, which, as Clark was unarmed, it most likely was.
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ReplyDeleteThe video should be released, but with discretion. The public should be told the truth, but riling more people up is not a good plan either. The release of the video should be up front and honest, not mixed with tension-filled opinions from either side.
ReplyDeleteWhile releasing the videos may further fan the flames of racial tension, it is something I believe we have a right to know. Withholding the videos would seem to be protecting the police, and tensions will be even worse if people believe more so than they already do that the government is allowing these types of police confrontations to keep happening.
ReplyDeleteAlso, incidents such as this shooting will continue to happen if there are no serious consequences brought to the policemen involved. In some cities across the country, police officers will have cameras on their person or on their vehicles at all time to discourage any overreaching of police authority.
So I think the video should be released, as they will set the record straight, and the officers will be held accountable if the video reveals incriminating evidence.