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The true crime category has a new medium, or perhaps even a whole new language and grammar: officer-worn camera recordings. Countenances of those harmed, witnesses and potential offenders appear suddenly to the cameras, at times in the intense brightness of headlights or torches as the officers approach, their faces and voices eloquent of wariness or panic or anger or suspiciously contrived innocence. And we often catch sight of the faces of the law enforcement personnel, one standing by blankly while the other asks the questions with what occasionally seems like extraordinary diffidence – though maybe this is because they know they are being recorded.

A Growing Trend in Documentary Filmmaking

We have previously seen the streaming service real-life crime film American Murder: Gabby Petito, about the killing of an Instagram influencer by her partner, whose primary focus was officer recordings and in which, as in this film, the law enforcement seemed extraordinarily lax with the perpetrator. There is also the acclaimed short film Incident by Bill Morrison, composed entirely of officer footage. Now comes a new film by Geeta Gandbhir about the tragic incident of a Florida mother in Ocala, Florida, a African American woman whose children reportedly bothered and antagonized her white neighbour, a local resident. In 2023, after an increasing number of neighbour-dispute incidents in which the authorities were summoned multiple times, Lorincz fatally shot Owens through her closed front door, when the victim went to Lorincz’s house to address her about throwing objects at her children.

The Police Inquiry and State Laws

The arresting officers found evidence that Lorincz had done online research into Florida’s “stand your ground” laws, which permit residents and others to shoot if there is a reasonable belief of threat. The movie builds its story with the officer recordings generated during the multiple officer calls to the location before the shooting, and then at the horrific and chaotic crime scene itself – prefaced by 911 audio material of Lorincz contacting authorities in a melodramatically shaky voice. There is also jail video of the individual which has a chilly, queasy fascination.

Portrayal of the Accused

The documentary does not really imply anything too complicated about the neighbor, or any mitigating factors. She is clearly unstable, although the kids are heard calling her a derogatory term, an ugly jibe. The film is showcased as an illustration of how self-defense regulations lead to senseless and tragic bloodshed. But the reality of firearm possession and the second amendment (that historic American constitutional privilege that a deceased pundit notoriously said made gun deaths a price worth paying) is not much highlighted.

Officer Questioning and Gun Culture

It is possible to watch the police interrogation scenes here and feel astonished at how little interest the officers took in this aspect. At what time did she purchase the firearm? Did she receive any instruction on handling it? Had she ever had occasion to fire it before? Where did she store it in the house? Could it have been easily accessible and prepared? 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 normal it would be like asking about microwaves or bread heaters?

Detention and Consequences

For what appeared to her local residents a very long time, the suspect was not even taken into custody and indicted, only detained and even offered a hotel stay away from home for the night (another point of comparison, incidentally, with the Gabby Petito case). And when she was finally officially taken into custody in the detention area, there is an remarkable scene in which Lorincz simply declines to rise, 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 led her to think that this could be effective?

Conclusion and Verdict

It was not successful; and the jury’s verdict is saved for the end titles. A deeply sobering picture of U.S. justice and consequences.