Do Not Resist

Winner of the 2016 Best Documentary Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival, Craig Atkinson's study of the militarization of U.S. police departments presents a visceral study of how law enforcement is being taken to a different level. The film focuses on influential police trainer Dave Grossman, in particular his efforts to establish an us-versus-them military mindset in officers who are supposed to be public servants. The result of such training has been violent excessive force for the most routine arrests, including here a SWAT raid at the home of an African-American family in South Carolina where property damage and cash seizures resulted in the discovery of only a tiny bag of marijuana. To his credit, Atkinson gains the trust of several police departments and offers an in-depth, up-close view of frontline police procedures. Perhaps not surprisingly, the pushback against heavy-handed police tactics aimed at nonwhite communities spurs a new round of violence, most notably rioting in Ferguson and Baltimore. Opposition is also raised in Congress and in town hall meetings around the country, but these efforts are mostly ignored by the police and their political enablers. A powerful, provocative, and very timely documentary, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)