By Mark Saldana
Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars)
From directors Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber comes this disturbing and sobering documentary that couldn’t have arrived at a more relevant time. The film follows the story of Dub Lawrence, a former sheriff of Davis County, Utah who started the state’s first SWAT team. Through the years following his career in law enforcement, Dub has noticed that the police departments of the U.S. have become more militaristic and has also realized that their focus has become less about keeping the peace. After witnessing the violent death of his son-in-law Brian Wood at the hands of the SWAT team he started, Dub works as a part-time private investigator helping those who may have been wrongfully hurt or whose loved ones may have been wrongfully killed by so-called peace officers.
The winner of both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards for Best Documentary Feature, Peace Officer is an important and very necessary film that will surely leave its audiences floored and in awe. I find it refreshing that the filmmakers have found a true peace officer who is willing to help people who have been wronged by some of the terrible mistakes and poor decision making that have come from police officers with violent tendencies. This more unbiased approach should help make the public better aware of the problems and issues that have plagued law enforcement, particularly in recent years.