Dear Readers,

The images we saw on our TV sets last week should be a lesson for our friends in law enforcement — and for all of us.

We all saw the video of a South Carolina police officer take aim at a man and fire eight shots, hitting him at least five times — in the back.

This came after the officer had stopped the man for a minor traffic infraction. One of his brake lights was burned out.

In earlier days, the only witness to the shooting would have been the officer who said he fired only after the man grabbed one of his weapons. That is what his official police report said.

This time, however, a passerby pulled out his smartphone and clicked on the video record button, producing a highly credible version of the tragic event. And it was at odds with the account of the officer. After watching the video, his bosses fired him and charged him with murder.

While TV “yackers” and newspaper pundits chew over this incident, either beating up on, or defending police conduct or misconduct, it is clear smartphones have changed the game.

In the last five years, what was a novelty has become a universal truth. There are more than 171 million smartphones in the United States. Statistics from Nielsen reveal about 71 percent of us have and rely on them. Most of us know how to use them.

For our friends in law enforcement, the smartphone is a two-edged sword. On one hand, a video of police misconduct can land an officer in hot water or worse. On the other hand, it can protect officers from false accusations and provide evidence against the bad guys.

In addition to smartphones, we are seeing law enforcement agencies around the country purchase dash cams and mount them in patrol cars to record traffic stops. Other departments are issuing body cams to record other incidents.

Lincoln County Sheriff Todd Brackett has equipped his deputies with body cams and many of his patrol cars have dash cams, too.

When one of Brackett's deputies records a video showing a falling down drunk driver, it is hard for the guy to claim he only had a couple of beers. And it is hard for a knucklehead to claim police brutality when the camera shows “Officer Friendly” treating him with kid gloves like he was Mother Teresa.

Brackett says a video has already cleared one deputy who was the subject of a complaint.

Videos can affect us, too. Do something stupid and you can bet someone will video it and post it on Facebook or send it to your brother-in-law, who will share it with your spouse.

The same goes for kids and adults who are dumb enough to take inappropriate photos of themselves. The same goes for those who are dumb enough to let “friends” take inappropriate photos.

If you think you were embarrassed by the nude photo your parents took when you were six months old, think of how you will feel when someone circulates a photo of grown up you in your birthday suit.

The good news is that smartphones are wonderful tools that provide us the ability to take high quality color photos and videos at the drop of a hat. And they also give us the ability to instantly share these photos with the world.

The bad news is that smartphones are wonderful tools that provide us the ability to take high quality color photos and videos at the drop of a hat. And they also give us the ability to instantly share these photos with the world.

Welcome to the modern world.