Frame 394

The young Canadian virtual reality expert Daniel Voshart doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into when he uploads a 3D analysis of one of the most talked about police shootings in recent American history.

On April 4, 2015, Walter Scott is shot dead by a cop after a routine check because of a malfunctioning brake light. A video of the event, filmed by a passer-by, appears on the internet. In Toronto, Voshart is extremely intrigued by the images of the white policeman who shoots the fleeing black man eight times in the back. He only became alarmed when The New York Times reported that “an object was placed next to Scott’s body.” Voshart analyses the amateur film with advanced computer techniques and puts his own version online. The tagline “South Carolina cop planting a taser next to body of Walter Scott” promptly unleashes a storm of reactions, mainly hate comments. Startled, the Canadian digs further into the truth and comes across statue 394. This fascinating story makes an interesting contribution to the heated discussion about racism in the police.