Body cameras will drastically reduce the incidence of police officers acting as judge, jury and executioner. This is the view of the Black Lawyers Association in its response to the killing of suspect Khulekani Mpanza.Mpanza was killed by an officer of Krugersdorp police station after the robbery suspect had fired shots at a law enforcement van during a hold-up.The Sunday Times published CCTV images of the incident last week, which led to the arrest of constables Titus Mabela, 30, Jason Segole, 34, and Dipuo Chipu, 39, and Sergeant Puleng Sebetwa, 38.mini_story_image_vleft1"We believe body cameras will drastically reduce police brutality, as well as wrongful accusations of police brutality by criminals and ... the public," the organisation said in a statement released yesterday.The Independent Police Investigative Directorate this week told parliament's portfolio committee on police that the manner in which Mpanza died was covered up by the officers as they reported that he was killed when they returned fire."We applaud the Sunday Times for bringing the horrendous news to the public domain without fear or prejudice," the lawyers' association said.The alleged cover-up has resulted in Krugersdorp commander Brigadier Dalipkimar Baijnath's suspension, while it is understood that morale at the station is low.On Tuesday, a detective at the station threatened to hand in his service pistol and to stop working on his dockets."My pistol is just a toy. If I use it, I will get into trouble. These guys try and kill us every day; I would have done the same."South Africans have been divided on the Mpanza killing, with some supporting the police and others expressing shock at the way an unarmed suspect was shot when he no longer posed a threat.Gert Jonker, chairman of the Krugersdorp community policing forum, said what happened to Mpanza was the "culmination of a series of events" after another policeman in the West Rand town was shot in the face by a criminal last year.story_article_right1"Obviously it's very traumatic for these guys, but you have to remember what they face every day," he said. "It must have had a psychological effect on them."Jonker said he was not trying to justify what the police officers did to Mpanza, but noted that they lived in the same community and their children attended the same schools.Mpho Kwinika, president of the South African Policing Union, said the police officers were not doing well.The union is paying the legal fees of the four accused. Chipu is facing a charge of defeating the ends of justice only, while the three other officers are facing the same charge, as well as murder."They don't regret what happened. They regret that they were in that situation. They were shot at," said Kwinika.This week, the number of police officers killed this year rose to 73.Warrant Officer Thomas Mabada, 52, was shot and killed while responding to an armed robbery in Thohoyandou.Constable Johannes Mokotedi was shot in the head in the North West after he stumbled on an armed robbery...