🔗 Share this article A Chilling Documentary Analysis: Unpacking a Notorious Incident Via the Perspective of a State Officer's Body Camera The true crime genre has an innovative format, or perhaps even a whole new language and grammar: officer-worn camera recordings. Countenances of those harmed, witnesses and possible perpetrators appear suddenly to the cameras, sometimes in the intense brightness of headlights or flashlights as the police arrive, their faces and voices expressing caution or panic or anger or suspiciously contrived innocence. And we frequently catch sight of the expressions of the law enforcement personnel, one standing by blankly while the other conducts the inquiry with what sometimes seems like extraordinary diffidence – though perhaps this is because they are aware they are being recorded. An Emerging Pattern in Non-Fiction Cinema We have previously seen the Netflix real-life crime film American Murder: Gabby Petito, about the killing of an social media personality by her partner, whose primary focus was body cam footage and in which, as in this film, the law enforcement seemed surprisingly lenient with the suspect. There is also the acclaimed short film Incident by Bill Morrison, made exclusively of body cam film. Now comes a new film by Geeta Gandbhir about the grim case of Ajike Owens in a city in Florida, a woman of colour whose children allegedly harassed and antagonized her white neighbour, a local resident. In 2023, after an increasing number of neighbour-dispute incidents in which the authorities were summoned multiple times, Lorincz fatally shot Owens through her locked door, when Owens went to Lorincz’s house to address her about throwing objects at her children. The Investigation and State Laws The investigating authorities found proof that the suspect had done internet searches into Florida’s “stand your ground” laws, which allow householders and others to shoot if there is a significant presumption of danger. The movie builds its story with the body cam footage generated during the repeated police visits to the location before the shooting, and then at the disturbing and disordered crime scene itself – prefaced by emergency call recordings of the caller contacting authorities in a melodramatically shaky voice. There is also police cell footage of Lorincz which has a chilly, queasy fascination. Depiction of the Suspect The film does not really imply anything too complex about Lorincz, or any extenuating circumstance. She is clearly unstable, although the children are heard calling her “the Karen”, an ugly jibe. The film is presented as an illustration of how “stand your ground” laws generate senseless and tragic bloodshed. But the reality of gun ownership and the second amendment (that historic American constitutional privilege that a deceased pundit notoriously said made gun deaths a price worth paying) is not much emphasized. Officer Questioning and Gun Culture It is possible to watch the police interrogation scenes here and feel astonished at how little interest the police took in this point. At what time did she purchase the firearm? Where (if anywhere) did she train in its use? Was this the first time she discharged the weapon? How was the gun kept in her home? Was it just on the couch, loaded and ready? The police aren’t shown asking any of these undoubtedly important questions (though they could have inquired in recordings that didn’t make the edit). Or is gun ownership so normal it would be like asking about kitchen appliances or bread heaters? Detention and Consequences For what appeared to her local residents a very long time, the suspect was not even arrested and charged, only held and even offered a hotel stay away from home for the night (another parallel, incidentally, with the Gabby Petito case). And when she was finally officially taken into custody in the holding cell, there is an remarkable scene in which Lorincz simply declines to rise, will not extend her arms for the handcuffs, not aggressively, but with the politely self-pitying air of someone whose mental health means that she is unable to comply. Did the gentle handling up until that point encouraged her to think that this could be effective? Conclusion and Verdict It didn’t; and the panel's decision is saved for the closing credits. A deeply sobering picture of American crime and punishment.