Officer, you're on camera.

• Author: Said, Nadin
• Position: TRENDS

Video captured by a bystander on his cell phone in South Carolina this past April shows a police officer firing eight shots and killing an unarmed man fleeing after a traffic stop. That video was crucial in determining which charges, if any, to file against the officer, as it provided an accurate picture of what occurred and whether deadly force was justified.

Just as tensions between law enforcement and the public have prompted calls for officers to wear body cameras, they also have more people using smartphones to film police interactions or arrests, in an attempt to record police conduct.

Lawmakers in several states have proposed measures to clarify the seemingly blurred line between actions that might interfere with legitimate law enforcement and constitutional protections enjoyed by citizens being able to record on-duty police officers. In Illinois last year, after an eavesdropping law was found unconstitutional, lawmakers passed a bill protecting the right of individuals to record public officials performing their public duties.

As of May 7, proposals in Colorado, Connecticut, California, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon and Texas also seek to clarify legal predicaments caused by recording on-duty law enforcement officers. The measures in Mississippi, New Hampshire and Oregon would allow citizens to record law enforcement, so long as the filming does not interfere with police officers being able to perform their duties.

The bills in Connecticut...