Exploring the Military Side of Police

By JBFC Marketing Intern Stacy Zakalik

Peace Officer, a documentary directed by Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber, arrives at the Burns on Friday, October 2 featuring a Q&A with filmmaker Brad Barber for opening night of Global Watch: Crisis, Culture & Human Rights, with a reception afterwards.

Peace Officer is a documentary about the militarization of the police force, and its heightened effect on the civilians caught in the middle of the gunfire.

The film’s central figure is William “Dub” Lawrence, a retired sheriff and county commissioner from Utah. Mr. Lawrence was the creator of the first SWAT team in Davis County, and was behind the use of it for decades. It was not until recently, with the death of his son-in-law in 2008, that he takes a new stance on police forces used in most situations.

When police told the media that Lawrence’s son-in-law, Brian Wood, shot himself, Lawrence took matters into his own hands and conducted his own investigation into the matter. Although this is the centerpiece of the film, and a riveting one at that, this is not the only story on which the film comments.

The excessive use of police force is something that has been in the news a lot lately, and this documentary examines this phenomenon with brutal honesty. The other examples they use in this film are just as interesting, showing civilians who accidentally got caught up with the hypervigilant police and who had to pay severely for their “misdemeanors.”

This film, no doubt, will keep you thinking for a long time afterwards about the militarization of police and what exactly it means for you, your friends, your family, and many other civilians, whether you know them or not.

Peace Officer is showing at the Burns for one week only! Tickets are on sale now.