What are the consequences when someone decides to record police activity? That is the question posed by the documentary Copwatch. The debut film by British director Camilla Hall is a powerful, painstaking look at police brutality in communities of color and the volatile power struggle between law enforcement and those communities. Drawing on high-profile incidents including the Ferguson unrest post Michael Brown, the deaths of Eric Garner and Freddie Gray; Copwatch tells the story of the citizen watchdog group WeCopwatch and the four activists hoping to change the centuries old power dynamic.
The unrest in Ferguson following the death of Michael Brown spurred Oakland resident and 15 year cop watcher Jacob Crawford into action. He immediately flew to Ferguson and during the course of the unrest connected with local activist David Whitt. Both men realized the need for more people in local communities to be aware of their rights as it pertains to interaction with law enforcement and the need for citizen oversight of police. It was there on those embattled streets of Ferguson where the idea for WeCopwatch was formed. Crawford and Whitt established an official organization and set up its headquarters in the St. Louis area town. Before long, the enterprising Crawford recruited Ramsey Orta and Kevin Moore, the men who filmed the fatal Eric Garner and Freddie Gray incidents respectively.
Copwatch depicts Crawford as a “Robin Hood” type of figure leading Whitt, Moore, and Orta; his band of “merry men.” Just like the heroes of English folklore, Crawford and the WeCopwatch organization are “outlaws.” Not in the law breaking sense. But as individuals operating within their constitutional rights but outside of what law enforcement would prefer, which is evident when watching the film. But our “heroes” are flawed, some tragically so. All four men have had encounters with law enforcement of various degrees, including arrests, over the course of their lives. Ramsey Orta in particular is currently serving four years on weapons and drug charges. I spoke to Hall in advance of the premiere about the idea of the “tragic hero.” She said:
As a filmmaker I try not to impose ideas of what a hero should be. But rather look at the entirety of who the person is.
Watch the clip of Hall talking about Ramsey as a tragic hero.
Imagery is a form of power, and people are reluctant to cede power, including law enforcement. The dynamic in that tussle for power is a slippery slope. Citizens are protected by law and can take images of police activity. But because of the power struggle, sometimes that protection is not enough. We see that throughout the film as the WeCopwatch members often face resistance and “legal tactics” that disrupt their attempts to document. To be fair, and Hall does this in the film, all the depicted police activities do not involve brutality. Sometimes the crowds around incidents do exacerbate. But the film also pushes the audience to think about why it is people of color have preconceived notions about cops? Why do those notions present with such heightened emotions?
Copwatch at its core is about people with shared experiences and what happens when they rally around that experience. Four men who see that absolute power in the hands of one group often comes at the expense of marginalized others decided to shed light on that issue and were thrust into the roles of leaders and activists.
What are the consequences when someone decides to record police activity? It’s a direct question with a not so direct answer. Many consequences arise from making a decision to record, both intended and unintended. Copwatch addresses them with tremendous nuance and care in this searing look at brotherhood and the power struggle between law enforcement and communities of color.
Flip the page for my interview with David Whitt and Kevin Moore at the red carpet premiere and more of my interview with director Camilla Hall.