A growing body of (missing) evidence is suggesting that the concept of police dash cams as a valuable tool to record the facts of police and citizen interaction is being selectively used and enforced.

Several recent incidents highlight the aftermath of police forcefully subduing suspects while being recorded on their police cruiser dash cams. Yet, those involved, as well as witnesses, have reported that the treatment was far worse than what the cameras eventually revealed.

Seattle is at the center of this firestorm of controversy after not only tacitly permitting the selective dash cam recording of events, but of apparently hiding what actually has been recorded

 

A recent incident involving the arrest of two men on Nov. 16th, 2010 was recorded on officer Brad Richardson's dash cam, but clearly begins later in the arrest process. The officer can be seen in the video below picking up the suspects off of the ground and putting them in the police cruiser.