Brief video clips of law enforcement officers using forceful tactics often don’t tell the full story, a Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman said.
Even though cellphone video clips taken by the public and posted online can appear to show police brutality, the clips are often taken out of context or the general public doesn’t understand why officers resort to force at times, Mississippi Highway Patrol Troop M Public Affairs Officer Brandon Fortenberry said.
Fortenberry spoke to the McComb Lions Club Tuesday about the “climate of mistrust” that has developed between the general public and law enforcement.
It is largely the result of a misunderstanding between the two, he said, adding that the media plays a role.
He said the mere fact the media broadcasts clips of police officers using force, sometimes deadly, creates a certain mindset among the public.
“It’s important to know the full context. In many of the clips you see in the media, there’s another side, one you don’t see,” he said. “It’s not necessarily media lies. The way it goes is that they are going to say what sells.”
Fortenberry didn’t discount video recordings that show abuse, and noted it’s law enforcement’s job to maintain high standards.
“Don’t get me wrong, there are some cases where (officers) were just wrong. There are some bad cops along with bad people out there. We don’t want those cops in law enforcement with us. It gives us all a bad name,” he said.
But others are innocent victims, Fortenberry said, noting that 104 officers have been killed in the line of duty this year.
He showed video clips of his own Tuesday to demonstrate why police use the tactics they use and to show how quickly traffic stops can go wrong.
“There is no routine traffic stop. We never know what we are up against,” he said.
In one video clip, the officer pulls a vehicle over and the driver immediately gets out of the car. The officer tells him to get back in the car.
He doesn’t move. His left hand is visible, but he keeps his right hand behind his back.The officer repeats the command to get back in the vehicle. He then starts walking towards the officer and in a heartbeat pulls a gun out and shoots repeatedly.
Fortenberry said the clip illustrates two things — just how quickly a traffic stop can turn deadly, and why Tasers aren’t the first choice of law enforcement in confrontations.
“Sometimes Tasers are effective. In that case, a Taser would not have helped at all,” he said.
Law enforcement will always prefer their handgun as the primary weapon for a simple fact: “You always want to have what will do the job. Sometimes Tasers don’t have much of an affect on people on a certain type of drug, or other times it can hit the buckle of a belt, not hit them,” he said.
In another video clip, the officer notes the demeanor of the driver by watching him through the rear-view mirror.
Fortenberry gives a forewarning. “When you have someone staring at you intently, like watching every single move you make for some reason, we try to change things up, to catch them off guard,” he said.
In the clip, the officer decides to approach the vehicle from the right side instead of the left.
Expecting him to come up to the driver side of the vehicle, the man leans his head out of the window in an attempt to locate the officer.
But when the officer gets close enough to the driver, he spots a gun. Seconds later, the man grabs it, jumps out of the car and starts shooting at the officer. Meanwhile, two other subjects in the car are caught in the crossfire. If either is armed, the officer would be outnumbered.
Fortenberry said that once officers fear for their lives, the use of force is justified.
Residents are taught differently by state on how to act during a traffic stop. This can lead to confusion, Fortenberry said.
“In Louisiana, folks are taught to get out of the vehicle when they are pulled over. Here, in Mississippi, it’s the opposite. We want you to stay in your vehicle,” he said.
