The documentary film “Peace Officer” created by Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber was both moving and extremely relevant to recent issues within the United states of America.
The film began with a home movie of Brian Wood and his son, in the firehouse where Brian had worked. It showed a simple man as a proud father and brave fire fighter sending a “home video” to his family members with his son wearing his firefighter gear. Brian was the son in law of “Dub” Lawrence, a former marine, police officer, and the youngest sheriff that Davis County Utah had ever elected. Dub also started the first ever Davis County SWAT team within the police force, back in 1975.
The film is focused on militarization of law enforcement within today’s society. It gages all aspects of the issue containing interviews with current officers, and all the victims. It included the family members who had first hand experience with law enforcement using military tactics and suffered because of it.
Dub has retired from his government issued position within Davis County, UT to run his own business dealing with sewage cleaning. At one point in the movie, Dub states that his new job “is a lot less stressful” as he is lowered into a sewage manhole. Dub also works independently on cases involving the police, specifically SWAT and the tactics they use in order to obtain “criminals” and evidence. He explains how today officers are being careless and not doing the do diligence in order to spare harm and human life that gets overlooked while SWAT teams are conducting raids or during an arrest involving SWAT.
There were plenty of compelling and unbelievable points that were shown throughout the movie, by Dub doing a thorough investigation. He focused on three cases he has been working on that led to a death by police force, when not necessary.
He spoke after the movie explaining how this is still a very real and large issue within our nation. He stated that he will continue to bring people’s attention to these issues and have this investigation mentality as an obsession.
After the special screening at MoMA guests headed to Circo for dinner.
-JC Routh
