Herman's most devastating weapon was something Officer Brew had completely forgotten about: the body camera footage.
Here's the thing about body cameras: many officers become so accustomed to wearing them that they forget they're even there. They stop thinking about the fact that every word, every action, every expression is being permanently recorded. Officer Brew was one of those officers. He'd totally forgotten his camera was rolling during the entire encounter with Herman Robinson.
When that footage was released to Herman's legal team during discovery, it revealed everything. It showed Officer Brew approaching Herman without any legal justification whatsoever. It captured him using racially coded language when he said people like Herman don't usually live in places like this. It showed him becoming hostile when Herman simply asked basic questions about his rights. It documented him using physical force on an elderly man who had done absolutely nothing wrong.
The footage was absolutely devastating, and Herman Robinson made damn sure the entire world saw it.
Within weeks of the body camera footage hitting the media, Officer Steven Brew became one of the most despised men in America. News stations played the clip on endless repeat. Social media erupted with outrage. Protesters swarmed outside the police department demanding immediate justice. Politicians issued statements calling for Officer Brew's termination.
The police department had zero choice. They launched an internal investigation that lasted roughly two weeks. When it concluded, Officer Brew was fired from the police force. After nine years on the job, his career was obliterated.
But that was just the opening act.
The District Attorney's Office jumped into the ring. They reviewed the body camera footage and determined Officer Brew had committed multiple crimes during that encounter:
First, he'd entered private property without permission or a warrant—textbook trespassing.