The justice system did not clearly work. It worked because it was FORCED to work – it was place in a position where even the most ridiculous leaps of logic and wide latitude that usually get law enforcement officers normally get could not be applied.
It worked because a civilian caught the act on video and gave the footage to the victim’s family. Because if that footage was given directly to the police department of the local district attorney, there was a realistic chance that the phone would get damaged, or footage erased – or that the man who took the video would be leveraged to not make it known to the public that the video exists.
Had there been no video, the victim would have been portrayed as the stereotypical out of control big, hulking, bloodthirsty, black beast who had to be put down. There would never have been an issue of if the shooting was justified or not – because people are obtuse and believe that police NEVER have reason to lie.
The justice system clearly did not work because there is a man who is guilty of nothing other than being behind on child support and having a broken tail light, who is DEAD.
The justice system did not work because the office thought nothing of firing eight shots at a fleeing individual who was not a threat to him.
The justice system did not work because the office thought nothing of attempting to cover up his misdeeds by giving a false narrative and tampering with evidence on the scene.
The justice system does not work because unless you have a rare instance such as this one where everything is on video, there is no accountability. Cop shoots and kills unarmed civilian, cop takes a paid vacation. DA plays softball (because DAs and cop have to work together) – and either blows the indictment or the trial (if there is one). The only recourse for the family is to file a civil suit. And who pays for that? The taxpayers. The officer is never in any personal jeopardy.
The justice system does not work because some officers RELY on it as it is in order to get away with bad deeds.
The justice system does not work because this is the one instance out of many that is given the scrutiny that is warranted.
If everything else in the world had such low expectations to consider it working…