Should we all start wearing body cameras to protect ourselves?

(theGrio) A body camera for everyone? Let’s unpack that thought for a moment.

If there is one thing that we know about Walter Scott — other than the fact he was murdered in cold blood by a criminal who was an officer with the North Charleston police department — it is that a video camera made a difference. The videotaping of the fatal shooting by Feiden Santana, 23, may very well prevented Walter Scott from becoming another Michael Brown, with no trial for the killer and no justice for the family. Although the Scott family cannot bring their loved one back, they are fortunate that someone was around to document the tragic event and tell the true story of what happened.

As a result of the Scott killing, the North Charleston police has ordered 250 body cameras for its police force, reigniting the debate over the technology. Body cameras have been shown to reduce police violence.

What Walter Scott's death reminds us

(CNN) On Tuesday, a white police officer in North Charleston, South Carolina, was charged with murder for shooting an unarmed black man in the back. Officer Michael Slager was arrested after raw video surfaced showing him firing numerous shots at Walter Scott as Scott ran away from a traffic stop.

The video footage contradicts Slager's statement that he felt threatened after Scott allegedly took his stun gun during a scuffle. The Post and Courier reported that the FBI has opened an investigation into the shooting death along with the State Law Enforcement Division, while the South Carolina attorney general is investigating possible civil rights violations.