This week’s “Body Cam” skips the usual tired true-crime tropes and delivers a double dose of real-world chaos. First, we’re in Astoria, Oregon, where the “Goonies” house, a cinematic landmark for some and a neighborhood nuisance for others, becomes the scene of vandalism and grand theft yacht.
A suspect, apparently not content with mere trespassing, takes off with a boat, leading authorities on a rather cinematic pursuit and eventual water rescue. One wonders if Chunk’s truffle shuffle would have calmed the situation.
Then, the scene shifts to Texas, where the stakes become considerably higher. A routine traffic stop escalates into a shootout, leaving an officer critically injured and the suspect making a getaway in the officer’s own patrol car—a bold move, even for Texas.
“Body Cam,” now in its ninth season, continues its formula of assembling real footage with firsthand accounts, offering a sometimes shaky, always visceral look at the unpredictable nature of police work. The jump cuts, the frantic radio chatter, the occasional glimpse of a donut—it all adds up to a strangely compelling portrait of law enforcement in action. It’s not exactly “Hill Street Blues,” but it’s certainly never dull.
Tune in to “Mayday, Mayday” on Tuesday, November 12 at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.
