"The first major documentary on a topic of fast-rising public interest — the increasing militarization of U.S. police departments — “Peace Officer” turns out to be as engrossing and well crafted as it is timely" -- VARIETY
About Peace Officer
Since the late 1970’s there has been a 15,000% increase in SWAT team raids in the United States.
Dub Lawrence is a man obsessed. As a young rookie cop, he used his savvy investigation skills to help break the Ted Bundy case. His obsession with turning around the systemic failings he saw as a young police officer led to a successful bid to become Sheriff of Davis County, Utah at a young age in 1974. Committed to the highest standards of peace officers serving the public good, he once wrote himself a parking ticket when a citizen called him out for his patrol car's violation.
After years in public service, today Dub works in semi-retirement as a private investigator, with projects fueled mostly by income from his water and sewage pump repair service. When he's not wading through raw sewage, his remaining free time is spent investigating the shooting death of his son-in-law Brian Wood.
Dub puts himself in Brian’s shoes as he describes the felonies, mistakes, and problems created by the multiple SWAT teams involved in the arrest of one desperate man in his parked truck threatening no one but himself. Now forced to stand by and watch as a regular citizen, Dub also laments what the SWAT team he founded with noble ambitions 30 years earlier has become.
In Peace Officer, Dub’s long-term obsession with bringing to light the truth behind his son-in-law's killing is punctuated by his investigation of other recent officer-involved shootings and SWAT team raids in quiet neighborhoods just miles from where Brian was killed. Several of these cases are related to aggressive no-knock search warrant laws typical across the country.
These events are contextualized within a growing national phenomenon of violent SWAT raids and governmental immunity laws gone amok in the War on Drugs. Officers both in cities and small towns like Dub's are routinely armed with military surplus weapons and equipment, and federal incentives to use what they are given. All of this has lead to a 15,000% increase in SWAT team raids in the United States since the late 1970's. Peace Officer follows Dub as he obsessively picks apart these cases from his unique perspective that combines the zeal of a rule-of-law detective with the grief of a victim.
Watch the trailer on Vimeo.
Since the late 1970’s there has been a 15,000% increase in SWAT team raids in the United States.
Dub Lawrence is a man obsessed. As a young rookie cop, he used his savvy investigation skills to help break the Ted Bundy case. His obsession with turning around the systemic failings he saw as a young police officer led to a successful bid to become Sheriff of Davis County, Utah at a young age in 1974. Committed to the highest standards of peace officers serving the public good, he once wrote himself a parking ticket when a citizen called him out for his patrol car's violation.
After years in public service, today Dub works in semi-retirement as a private investigator, with projects fueled mostly by income from his water and sewage pump repair service. When he's not wading through raw sewage, his remaining free time is spent investigating the shooting death of his son-in-law Brian Wood.
Dub puts himself in Brian’s shoes as he describes the felonies, mistakes, and problems created by the multiple SWAT teams involved in the arrest of one desperate man in his parked truck threatening no one but himself. Now forced to stand by and watch as a regular citizen, Dub also laments what the SWAT team he founded with noble ambitions 30 years earlier has become.
In Peace Officer, Dub’s long-term obsession with bringing to light the truth behind his son-in-law's killing is punctuated by his investigation of other recent officer-involved shootings and SWAT team raids in quiet neighborhoods just miles from where Brian was killed. Several of these cases are related to aggressive no-knock search warrant laws typical across the country.
These events are contextualized within a growing national phenomenon of violent SWAT raids and governmental immunity laws gone amok in the War on Drugs. Officers both in cities and small towns like Dub's are routinely armed with military surplus weapons and equipment, and federal incentives to use what they are given. All of this has lead to a 15,000% increase in SWAT team raids in the United States since the late 1970's. Peace Officer follows Dub as he obsessively picks apart these cases from his unique perspective that combines the zeal of a rule-of-law detective with the grief of a victim.
Watch the trailer on Vimeo.
 | SCOTT CHRISTOPHERSON Director, Producer, Cinematographer As an undergraduate Scott worked for Ross McElwee of Harvard University on his film In Paraguay. Ross helped guide Scott’s first film titled Only the Pizza Man Knows, which was broadcast internationally for over a year on the satellite cable network BYUtv. After his undergraduate work Scott worked as the Documentary Arts Director/Instructor for Spy Hop Productions and the Sundance Institute’s youth documentary workshops. His students’ films went on to win multiple awards locally and internationally and were nominated as the top short film in Utah two consecutive years. While living in San Francisco for graduate school, Scott shot, directed, and edited over 20 short films for Project Runway’s season six website. Scott received his MFA in documentary cinema from San Francisco State University and he also earned an MA degree in Anthropology from UW-Madison. He is currently an Assistant Professor of documentary film at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. |
