Perceptions of Officer-Involved Shootings by Police Officers and Civilians

In the source article, the researchers explored how perception and memory for a use-of-force incident differed between officers who actually participated in the incident and civilians who only viewed body-worn camera (BWC) footage of the incident. Police officers participated in two scenarios in a shooting simulator; civilians later viewed the BWC video of the officer’s participation. Numerous differences between these two groups were found when responding to questions about (a) what had happened during the incident and (b) what the perceived state of mind was of the officer during the incident. The findings have important implications for the application of Graham v. Connor, 1989. This US Supreme Court decision provides the standard for determining whether the force used by an officer was justified. It is important to acknowledge that the perspective of an officer on scene is likely to differ from that of civilians who only view the officer’s BWC recording afterward.