New Film Makes the Case for Police to Return to Being 'Peace Officers'

Peace Officer is a new documentary about the increasingly militarized state of American police as told through the eyes of William "Dub" Lawrence, a sheriff who established and trained Utah's first SWAT team — only to see that same unit shoot and kill his son-in-law. Lawrence uses his investigative skills to uncover the truth and also learns about other officer-involved shootings in the process.

Scott Christopherson, who made the film with Brad Barber, said they were finishing up the film when protests broke out in Ferguson, Missouri, following the shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, at the hands of of a white police officer.

"We knew that what Dub was encountering, and what he was going through was a microcosm, something that really represented what was going on in the U.S.," Christopherson said. "We knew that if it was happening in Utah, sure enough it was happening everywhere."

The filmmakers were also attracted to Lawrence and his story. He said the film has a message for police departments throughout the country.

"There is a better way to do it than starting out with deadly force," Lawrence said. "I mean, we've taken it too far...even the training, and equipping. It's a mentality that needs to be looked at, on a national scale."

Peace Officer opened in New York this week. In this interview, WNYC's Jami Floyd speaks with Christopherson, Barber, and Lawrence about the film. Watch a trailer for Peace Officer below.

Peace Officer Trailer from Submarine Deluxe on Vimeo.