Vegas tradition. Film don’t lie. Yet, and it is a mystery, nefarious and criminal acts are committed in casinos every day. While the cameras are running and everyone knows they are running, nefarious and criminal acts happen every day in Nevada casinos.

So, to us in Nevada, the idea that someone would commit a criminal act while being filmed is not only not surprising, it happens in Vegas daily.

What would embolden a person to act inappropriately or illegally knowing they are being filmed is difficult to explain, but I would suggest it has more to do with feeling a sense of invincibility or invisibility, that somehow they won’t see me.

This, I believe, is what allowed Chauvin to keep his knee on Floyd’s neck. He felt the invincibility of the thin blue line and it emboldened him to feel invisible. And if not invisible, then untouchable.

The verdict was right. But it remains to be seen if right translates to action. There remains the Wild Wild West mentality that the sheriff must be the baddest, bestest gunslinger in the town in order to maintain law and order. This encourages the badass gunslingers to come in and challenge him. We really haven’t advanced much.

Cops can’t be everywhere at once. So enforcement is selective. And cops determine through past experience and other cop influence which areas are in need of greater enforcement and which areas are to be avoided. And when they protect and serve using such guidelines, there is no alternative but to protect and serve each other. During this trial, they deviated from the curve. But that is not to be seen as progress or rehabilitation. It is a tactical move toward survival. So be careful what you cheer and ask for. In this case, a well placed cell phone ensured prosecution and conviction. But remember Vegas rules: film does not prevent action, it only documents what has already happened.