Yan Li Video
It is important for video producers and journalists to understand where these videos are coming from, how they were captured, and what role they might play in future news cycles. While Li’s intention may have been to capture footage that would compel people to take action on a pressing social issue, we think Li was definitely onto something. Yan Li’s video is a great example of the changing nature of video journalism. As the prevalence of citizen video grows, so too does the need for media outlets to develop new strategies for delivering those videos to their audience. In an extreme video of a police killing, the cop keeps his gun stationary while a suspect runs at him. He shoots her in the torso, and then she falls down. The officer stands over her with his gun still pointed down, while she is seemingly motionless on the ground. What does this video tell us about the police’s face of violence in the United States? I think it points to two obvious things. One is that many people are carrying around weapons and both the police and society as a whole need to be aware of their presence when interacting with people. Quite a large number of individuals seem to want to use those weapons even if it will lead to their own arrest or injury. It is certainly not enough to reasonably expect that a policeman will never be attacked when he encounters an armed individual. The other thing it points to is the reality behind many of the “officer-feared” stories we’ve heard over the past few years. Those individuals who are willing to attack an officer with whatever they have, whether they’re armed or not, represent a major threat that police must take into consideration from day one of training, and which cannot be unlearned or ignored just because it doesn’t happen every day.
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