December 02, 2024

Ep. 65 Deadly force encounters and the impact on the officer involved; my interview with filmmaker and former police officer Patrick Shaver from 2021.

41 minutes

Ep. 65 To mark the four-year anniversary of the podcast, I’m revisiting earlier episodes with content and issues that remain relevant today. This episode is about the impact of a deadly force encounter on the officer, something that is rarely discussed. I review the powerful documentary “Officer Involved” with the filmmaker Patrick Shaver, a former police officer. Over several years Patrick interviewed law enforcement from around the country about their incident and emotional toll it took on them. He also interviewed mental health experts who have researched and written about the subject. We are all sensitive to the tragedy surrounding deadly use of force on those lost and their loved ones. This film and Patrick’s interview are important elements to understanding the whole story. As Patrick says in the interview, there are two sides to the gun and both people are forever changed. My goal is to help us all better understand what the job really is and show the complexity of what it means to be a police officer.

Also in this interview, Patrick and I talk about his film DINKHELLER. It’s about Deputy Kyle Dinkheller who was tragically killed in GA in 1998 during a traffic stop gone horribly wrong. Many of you know of his incident.

Patrick Shaver has done multiple documentaries showing the human side of law enforcement. You can find out more about him and his work at his website. Patrick funds his work through the proceeds of DVD and streaming sales of his films: http://www.officerinvolvedproject.com/films

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©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

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