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The true crime genre has a new medium, or perhaps even a whole new language and structure: officer-worn camera recordings. Faces of victims, observers and potential offenders appear suddenly to the cameras, sometimes in the intense brightness of headlights or flashlights as the officers approach, their expressions and tones expressing caution or panic or indignation or dubiously feigned naivety. And we frequently catch sight of the expressions of the law enforcement personnel, one waiting impassively while the other conducts the inquiry with what occasionally seems like remarkable hesitation – though maybe this is because they are aware they are being recorded.

An Emerging Pattern in Documentary Filmmaking

We have previously seen the Netflix true-crime documentary American Murder: Gabby Petito, about the killing of an social media personality by her partner, whose primary focus was officer recordings and in which, as in this film, the police seemed extraordinarily lax with the suspect. There is also the acclaimed short film Incident by Bill Morrison, made exclusively of body cam film. Now comes Geeta Gandbhir’s documentary about the tragic incident of Ajike Owens in a city in Florida, a woman of colour whose children reportedly bothered and antagonized her neighbor, a local resident. In 2023, after an escalating series of neighbour-dispute incidents in which the police were repeatedly called, Lorincz fatally shot Owens through her locked door, when Owens went to Lorincz’s house to confront her about throwing objects at her children.

The Investigation and State Laws

The investigating authorities found evidence that the suspect had done online research into the state's self-defense statutes, which allow residents and others to shoot if there is a reasonable belief of danger. The documentary builds its story with the officer recordings captured during the repeated police visits to the scene before the killing, and then at the disturbing and disordered incident site itself – introduced by 911 audio material of Lorincz calling the police in a dramatically trembling voice. There is also police cell footage of the individual which has a chilly, queasy fascination.

Depiction of the Suspect

The film does not really suggest anything too complicated about Lorincz, or any mitigating factors. She is clearly unstable, although the children are heard calling her “the Karen”, an ugly jibe. The film is presented as an example of how self-defense regulations lead to senseless and tragic violence. But the reality of gun ownership and the second amendment (that longstanding U.S. legal right that a deceased pundit famously claimed made gun deaths a necessary cost) is not much highlighted.

Officer Questioning and Firearm Norms

It is feasible to watch the police interrogation scenes here and feel surprised at how little interest the police took in this point. When did she buy her gun? Where (if anywhere) did she train in its use? Was this the first time she discharged the weapon? Where did she store it in the house? Was it just on the couch, loaded and ready? The police aren’t shown asking any of these undoubtedly important questions (though they may have done in recordings that were not included). Or is gun ownership so commonplace it would be like asking about microwaves or bread heaters?

Arrest and Aftermath

For what seemed to her neighbors a very long time, Lorincz was not even arrested and charged, only detained and even offered a hotel stay away from home for the night (another parallel, incidentally, with the a prior incident). And when she was ultimately officially taken into custody in the detention area, there is an remarkable scene in which Lorincz simply refuses to stand, will not extend her arms for the cuffs, not hostilely, but with the politely self-pitying air of someone whose mental health means that she just can’t do it. Had the kid-gloves treatment up until that point encouraged her to think that this could be effective?

Final Outcome and Judgment

It didn’t; and the jury’s verdict is saved for the closing credits. A deeply sobering portrayal of U.S. justice and consequences.