U.S. Police Abuse – Kianga Mwamba
Kianga Mwamba, the daughter of a police officer, was driving home late at night in Baltimore in March 2014, when she saw police beating a handcuffed man. While stopped at a red light, she began to record the scene out her window. Officers told Mwamba to pull over so she wasn’t stopped in the middle of the street.
After Mwamba says she’d pull over, the scene quickly escalated, with officers yelling at Mwamba to get out of the car, forcing her to the ground, and arresting her. Mwamba’s phone was still recording and the audio captures the chaos that ensued: officers demanding she get out of the car, the clicking of a taser, Mwamba shouting, “you’re burning me,” and a man’s voice stating, “You’re a dumb b****.” Just before the recording stops, Mwamba asks “What did I do?” to which a man responds, “You just tried to run over an officer.”
This video shows what happens after officers try to delete Mwamba’s video and provides tips on filming with a mobile phone. Learn more about the case here.
This is part of a WITNESS Media Lab project examining the impact of video in documenting police misconduct in the U.S. and its role in achieving justice and accountability.
| Collection(s) | All resources |
|---|---|
| Region/Country | United States |
| Topic(s) | Archiving & Preservation, Filming Techniques, Mobile Phones, Police Violence, Video Advocacy |
| Type | Video |
| Language | English |
