Video and social media have played a big role in putting police shootings of African Americans in the national spotlight. In the aftermath of Korryn Gaines’ death earlier this week, Facebook has once again taken a central role.
Baltimore County police said they requested that Gaines’ Facebook accounts be deactivated during the standoff in Randallstown on Monday, and Facebook complied. Police Chief Jim Johnson said police made the request after Gaines posted video of the incident on Facebook and Instagram. He said the request was due to the fact that it was a barricade situation where Gaines had a gun. Facebook agreed to deactivate Gaines’ accounts.
According to the AP, the videos showed Gaines talking with police and her 5-year-old son, who was later wounded as Gaines and police exchanged gunfire. Facebook later reactivated Gaines’ account, but two videos were blocked because they violated the social network’s policies.
Police said they would look to file search warrants with Facebook to obtain the videos as evidence. Police at the scene were not wearing body cameras, so they may be the only videos of the scene available.
Good for Facebook and for Police Chief Jim Johnson! The police and FB had the decency to derail Korryn’s plan to live stream her Black Lives Matter martyrdom.