NEXT, TO THE NEW YORK --NEW NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY, "THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR," WHICH EXPLORES A TWO- YEAR NEIGHBORHOOD DISPUTE IN FLORIDA THAT RESULTED IN THE TRAGIC SHOOTING DEATH OF AJIKE OWENS, A MOTHER OF FOUR.

THE STORY UNFOLDS ENTIRELY THROUGH POLICE BODY CAM FOOTAGE.

RAISES URGENT QUESTIONS ABOUT STAND YOUR GROUND LAWS A ALLOW THE USE OF DEADLY FORCE IF A PERSON BELIEVES THEY ARE IN IMMINENT DANGER.

HERE IS A LOOK AT THE TRAILER.

>> >> HARI SREENIVASAN JOINED BY DRLKTER GEETA GANDBHIR AND PAMELA DIAS, THE MOTHER OF AJIKE OWENS TO DISCUSS THE MOTIVATION BEHIND THE DOCUMENTARY AND WHAT THEY HOPE VIEWERS WILL TAKE AWAY FROM IT.

>> THANKS.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

GEETA, YOU HAVE DONE SEVERAL SOCIAL JUSTICE FOCUSED FILMS.

THE MOST ON NETFLIX, "THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR," AND IF FOCUSES ON THE DEATH OF THE SHOOTING OF 35-YEAR-OLD AJIKE OWENS OF FLORIDA, A WOMAN WHO WAS A MOTHER OF FOUR, WHO WAS SHOT BY HER NEIGHBOR, SUSAN LAWRENCE.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS STORY AND WHY YOU DECIDED TO TELL IT.

>> SURE.

SO THE BACKGROUND TO THE STORY IS THAT AJIKE OWENS WAS A FAMILY FRIEND.

SHE WAS MY SISTER- IN-LAW'S BEST FRIEND.

WHEN THIS HAPPENED, WE WERE IMMEDIATELY CALLED, MY PARTNER, WHO IS ALSO A PRODUCER ON THE FILM, AND I WERE ON THE GROUND IMMEDIATELY TO TRY TO SUPPORT PAMELA DIAS AND HER FAMILY.

AS FAR AS KEEPING THE STORY IN THE NEWS, THAT WAS SOMETHING WE WANTED TO DO BECAUSE WE WERE CONCERNED THAT DUE TO STANDARD YOUR GROUND LAWS THAT EXIST IN FLORIDA, THAT SUSAN LAWRENCE WOULD WALK FROM THE CRIME.

AND WE HAVE THE PRECURSOR OF TRAYVON MARTIN THAT I THINK IS STEEPED IN THE NATIONAL CONSCIENCE AND THAT WAS, AGAIN, IT WAS A CONCERN.

SO ABOUT TWO MONTHS LATER, AFTER WE BECAME INVOLVED IN SUPPORTING THE FAMILY, WE RECEIVED THE BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE FROM PAMELA'S LAWYERS, BENJAMIN CRUMP AND ANTHONY THOMAS.

THEY USED THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT TO ACQUIRE ALL OF THE MATERIALS THAT THE POLICE HAD RECORDED IN THE PROCESS OF THIS CASE.

AND PRIOR TO THE MURDER.

AND SO WHEN WE GOT OUR HANDS ON THAT AND DREW THE MATERIALS, WE WERE ASKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR THE MEDIA OR MAYBE EVEN THEN FOR THE LAWYERS.

WE REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A MUCH BIGGER STORY HERE BECAUSE THE BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE STRETCHED BACK TWO YEARS.

SO THAT'S HOW THE FILM BEGAN.

>> GEETA, WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE FOOTAGE, WHAT SPLICE SURPRISED YOU?

I SUSPECT YOU WERE SUSPECTING THE NIGHT OF.

BUT TO HAVE TWO YEARS WORTH OF VIDEO.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK FOR US, AS YOU MENTIONED, USUALLY WHEN A CRIME OCCURS, AS FAR AS POLICE BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE, IT REALLY USUALLY IS ONLY THE NIGHT OF.

YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME SECURITY CAMERA FOOTAGE, MIGHT CAPTURE SOMETHING.

BUT WE WERE SHOCKED TO SEE THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE AND, AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, IT SPANNED BACK TWO YEARS.

>> FAM LA, FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT HAVE SEEN THE FILM, TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT AJIKE AS A DAUGHTER, A MOTHER, A FRIEND.

>> YES.

SO AJIKE WAS A SINGLE MOTHER OF FOUR CHILDREN.

SHE WAS SUPER MOM, I WOULD SAY .

SHE WAS VERY INVOLVED IN HER CHILDREN'S LIVES.

SHE HAD HER CHILDREN IN PRIVATE SCHOOL.

SHE INSTILLED IN THEM A DEEP FAITH.

SHE HAD CORE VALUES.

SHE INSTILLED IN THEM RESPECT FOR THEIR ELDERS.

AS YOU SEE IN THE FILM WHERE SHE TELLS HER SON -- OR SHE TELLS THE POLICE RECORDING HER SON THAT IF THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH AN ADULT, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE IT AND TELL HER AND SHE'LL TAKE IT UP WITH THE ADULT.

THE KIDS WERE INVOLVED IN A LOT OF EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.

SHE WAS THE CHEER MOM.

SHE WAS THE FOOTBALL TEAM MOM.

I ALWAYS JOKE AND SAY THAT WE HAVE THIS GREAT EXTENDED FAMILY BECAUSE EVERYONE THAT SHE CONSIDERED A FRIEND WAS FAMILY TO HER.

SHE HAD GREAT DREAMS, ASPIRATIONS.

JUST A JOY.

VERY COMEDIC, FUNNY, LOVED.

JUST A BEAUTIFUL PERSON.

>> BEFORE THIS EVENT, DID YOU KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE NEIGHBOR THAT SHOT YOUR DAUGHTER?

>> I DID NOT KNOW HER BY NAME.

SHE ALWAYS REFERENCED HER AS A NEIGHBOR.

AND SHE WOULD TELL ME, MY DAUGHTER WOULD TELL ME THAT THERE WAS A WHITE NEIGHBOR THAT WOULD HARASS THE CHILDREN.

AND THEN SHE TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS AN INCIDENT WHERE SHE WAVED A GUN.

I COULDN'T WRAP MY MIND AROUND THE FACT THAT MY NEIGHBOR WOULD SHOW A GUN TO CHILDREN.

IT JUST DIDN'T SEEM REAL TO ME AT THAT TIME.

BUT, OBVIOUSLY, IT WAS.

>> SUSAN, SHE WOULD COME OUT AND SCREAM AND THE LANGUAGE AROUND THESE LITTLE KIDS.

>> SUSAN WOULD?

>> YEAH.

OH.

>> DESCRIBE TO ME WHAT SHE WAS SAYING.

>> THE "F" WORD.

THE "B" WORD.

>> B WORD AND THE "F" WORD.

>> SHE CALLED THEM SLAVES.

SHE TOLD THEM THE FIELD THEY WERE ON WASN'T THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.

>> SO IT DEFINITELY HAD MAJOR RACIAL COMPONENT TO IT.

AND SUSAN'S --SUSAN WAS NEVER IN FEAR.

SUSAN WAS MOTIVATED BY HATE, BIASES, AND RACISM.

>> GEETA, WE SEE SO MANY DIFFERENT INTERACTIONS OF THE POLICE THAT COME TO SUSAN'S DOOR, THAT COME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT TALK TO THE KIDS, THAT TALK TO THE FAMILIES, BLACK POLICE, WHITE POLICE, MALE, FEMALE.

WHAT WAS THEIR FAILURE HERE?

WHAT WAS --HOW DID RACE PLAY INTO THOSE INTERACTIONS?

>> I THINK WHAT IS SO FASCINATING THAT WE SAW IN THE FOOTAGE, AND I THINK WHAT YOU SEE IN THE FILM, IS THAT THERE WERE OVERALL SYSTEMIC FAILURES IN THIS CASE, AND THE POLICE SHOW UP ON SCENE MULTIPLE TIMES AND WHAT'S INTERESTING, AND I THINK WHEN, AGAIN, IN SHARING THIS WITH THE AUDIENCES, WHAT WE SEE IS THAT OUR BAR FOR THE POLICE IS SO LOW THAT WE SOMETIMES MISTAKE POLITENESS OR, AGAIN, THEM NOT SHOWING UP GUNS BLAZING, YOU KNOW, THROWING PEOPLE TO THE GROUND OR SHOOTING ANYONE AS CONFIDENCE.

AND I THINK WHAT HAPPENED HERE IS THAT SUSAN WAS TREATED AS A CLIENT.

AGAIN, BECAUSE SHE WAS THE PERSON WHO CALLED AGAIN AND AGAIN, SHE, AS AN OLDER WHITE WOMAN, WAS HANDLED WITH KID GLOVES AND JUST TREATED AS A NUISANCE, RIGHT, ULTIMATELY.

THE POLICE DID GET --SEEMED TO TIRE OF HER.

BUT THEY NEVER SAW HER AS A THREAT.

AND THEY NEVER SAW THE COMMUNITY, A MULTIRACIAL COMMUNITY, AS PEOPLE WHO WERE WORTH PROTECTING.

THEY NEVER SAW THEM AS, I THINK, AS IMPORTANT OR AS CITIZENS IN THE WAY THAT THEY SAW SUES IS ON.

SO THEY SORT OF - - THEY DISMISSED THE IDEA THAT THERE WAS ANY THREAT.

I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WE WERE SO COMMITTED TO USING THE BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE IS BECAUSE IT IS EVIDENCE.

WE ARE FILMMAKERS FIRST, SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CLEARLY DOCUMENTED OR SHOWED THE AUDIENCE THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE POLICE.

SUSAN'S PERSPECTIVE AND THE COMMUNITY'S PERSPECTIVE.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THEM, YOU REALLY SEE THAT SUSAN WAS THE AGGRESSOR IN THIS CASE, AND THE POLICE AGAIN, THEY SHOULD HAVE MAYBE THE THIRD TIME SUSAN CALLED AND IT WAS UNFOUNDED, THEY SHOULD HAVE FLAGGED HER.

I DO BELIEVE IF SUSAN HAD BEEN A PERSON OF COLOR THAT THIS WOULD HAVE GONE VERY DIFFERENTLY.

>> GET ON THE GROUND!

>>ER .

>> HOLD ON.

>> OH, MY GOD!

>> IN THE FRONT.

>> SHERIFF'S OFFICE!

COME OUTSIDE WITH YOUR HANDS UP!

>> THE DAY AJIKE WAS SHOT, SHE HAD GONE OVER TO SUSAN'S HOUSE BECAUSE SUSAN ALLEGEDLY THREW ROLLERSKATES AT AJIKE'S CHILDREN, AND IT SNOWBALLED FROM THERE.

ACCORDING TO THE FACTS, SUSAN SHOT AJIKE THROUGH A BOLTED METAL DOOR AND HER DEFENSE TEAM CALLED ON THE STAND YOUR GROUND LAWS.

SOME PEOPLE MIGHT REMEMBER THAT FROM 2012 WHEN GEORGE ZIMMERMAN USED THAT DEFENSE WHEN HE SHOT TRAYVON MARTINS.

REFRESH US, WHAT ARE STAND YOUR GROUND LAWS?

>> THE SHORT VERSION, BASICALLY STAND-YOUR-GROUND LAW STATES THAT YOU HAVE -- IT REMOVES THE DUTY TO RETREAT IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU'RE IN DANGER, THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROTECT YOUR HOME.

AND, AGAIN, THIS LAW ACTUALLY -- IT'S REALLY BEING MISUSED.

IT CREATES FEAR .

IT EMBOLDENS PEOPLE TO SHOOT FIRST AND RATIONALIZE LATER.

STAND-YOUR-GROUND LAW IS DEFINITELY A LAW THAT NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED, MODIFIED, TAKEN OFF.

IT EXISTS IN ABOUT 38 STATES, IF I BELIEVE, IN SOME FORM OR FASHION.

SO IT IS A VERY - -A LAW THAT BASICALLY ALLOWS PEOPLE TO WEAPONIZE IT AND LACK ACCOUNTABILITY.

>> DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE A STATISTIC AT THE END OF THE FILM THAT SHOWS --SAYS THAT THESE LAWS HAVE BEEN LINKED TO AN 8 TO 11% INCREASE IN HOMICIDE RATES OR ROUGHLY 700 ADDITIONAL DEATHS EACH YEAR.

AND THERE ARE STATISTICS FROM THE FBI, THESE ARE TEN YEARS OLD NOW, CONTROLLING FOR OTHER VARIABLES, THE ODDS THAT A WHITE ON BLACK HOMICIDE IS RULED JUSTIFIED ARE 281% GREATER THAN WHEN A WHITE PERSON KILLS ANOTHER WHITE PERSON.

HOW DOES RACE PLAY INTO THAT FOUNDATIONAL LEVEL OF THIS POLICY THAT IS SO BROADLY ADAPTED IT IN THE UNITED STATES?

>> I THINK WHAT'S SO INTERESTING TO ME IS, AND I THINK THE FILM IS A MICRO COSOM OF THE BEST OF AMERICAN SOCIETY BUT ALSO THE WORST OF AMERICAN SOCIETY.

AND THE WORST IS THAT SORT OF THE RACIAL DISPARITIES THAT YOU SEE AND HOW --AND SYSTEMIC TREATMENTS.

AND I THINK THAT STAND-YOUR-GROUND LAWS, AGAIN, IT'S A PREDATORY LAW FALLING UNDER THE CASTLE DOCTRINE.

THE KEY PART IS THAT, IF YOU CAN PROVE OR FEEL THAT YOUR LIFE IS IN IMMINENT DANGER, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEFEND YOURSELF WITHOUT HAVING THE DUTY TO RETREAT.

AND SO I THINK, AGAIN, THERE IS THIS ALMOST A PARANOIA IN OUR SOCIETY ABOUT THOSE AROUND US.

I THINK THOSE --I THINK THERE ARE MANY FACTORS HERE THAT --AND THAT IS A TOOL OF AN AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENT ALSO USED TO POLARIZE AND DIVIDE US.

WE ARE, INSTEAD OF SORT OF LIVING TOGETHER AND LIVING IN COMMUNITY THE WAY THAT AJIKE AND HER NEIGHBORS DID, I THINK SUSAN SORT OF EMBODIES THOSE FEARS.

AND YOU SEE THIS PLAY OUT IN HISTORY TIME AND TIME AGAIN, AND IT'S PARTICULARLY WITH WHITE WOMEN, THE STORY OF EMMETT TILL IS REFLECTED ON THAT, THAT BLACK PEOPLE ARE PUNISHED AND MURDERED FOR, IN SOME WAY, OFFENDING, EVEN IF THEY DO NOT, RIGHT, BUT A WHITE PERSON WILL CLAIM THAT THEY WERE SOMEHOW OFFENDED BY OR INSULTED BY OR, YOU KNOW, HARMED BY A BLACK PERSON, AND THE RESULT IS DEATH.

YOU KNOW, IT'S A DEATH SENTENCE FOR THE BLACK PERSON.

AND STAND-YOUR-GROUND LAWS ARE JUST AN EXTENSION OF THAT.

>> I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID IS WRONG.

I THINK YOU KNOW THAT THERE WERE ALREADY DEPUTIES ON THE WAY.

>> THERE WAS TIMES I CALLED THEM AND DEPUTIES NEVER SHOWED UP.

>> I UNDERSTAND.

TWO MINUTES.

SO YOU - - >> TO ME IT WASN'T TWO MINUTES.

TO ME IT WAS MUCH LONGER.

IN MY MIND -- >> THERE IS ONLY ONE REALITY WHERE TIME EXISTS, AND I UNDERSTAND PERCEPTION OF TIME CAN BE DIFFERENT FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

AND THE REALITY OF THINGS, YOU JUST DISCONNECTED, WITHIN TWO MINUTES A SHOT WAS FIRED THROUGH THAT DOOR.

>> PAMELA, SUSAN LAWRENCE RECENTLY DID AN INTERVIEW FROM THE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY SHE IS SERVING 25 YEARS FOR.

AND IN THERE SHE EXPRESSES SOME REMORSE.

SHE SAID, I CAN'T TAKE IT BACK, I CAN'T REPLACE HER AND I AM SO SORRY IN REGARDS TO YOUR DAUGHTER.

SHE STILL CLAIMS YOUR GRANDCHILDREN REPEATEDLY THREATENED HER AN MAINTAINS SHE WAS FEARFUL FOR HER LIFE WHEN SHE SHOT.

WHAT'S, I GUESS, YOUR REACTION?

BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHE SAID TO THE POLICE FROM THE BEGINNING AT HER SENTENCING, AND EVEN NOW.

>> SO SUSAN HAS NEVER SHOWN ANY REAL REMORSE.

I SAT THROUGH ALL OF THE HEARINGS LEADING UP TO THE TRIAL, AND INCLUDING THE TRIAL.

SUSAN HAS ALWAYS EMBELLISHED THE TRUTH OR FLAT-OUT LIED.

THE FACT THAT SHE WOULD SAY THAT THE CHILDREN THREATENED HER IS LUDACRIS WHEN SHE IS THE ONE WHO TOOK MY GRANDCHILD'S POSSESSION, REFUSED TO GIVE IT BACK TO HIM, AND THREW AN OBJECT AT HIM.

SHE OFTEN FILMED THE CHILDREN WHILE THEY WERE PLAYING WITH AN ADULT IN AN AREA THAT DID NOT BELONG TO HER, DID NOT BELONG TO HER LANDLORD.

SHE CLEARLY WAS THE NUISANCE, CLEARLY WAS THE PROBLEM.

SHE ANTAGONIZED THEM REPEATEDLY.

ACCUSED --MADE ACCUSATIONS THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO STEAL HER CAR.

AND YOU SEE IN A DOCUMENTARY THAT THE KID DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE.

TO ACCUSE MY GRANDSON OF TRYING TO PUT THIS LITTLE PUPPY IN THE BACK OF HER TRUCK WHEN IT'S A DOG AS BIG AS HIM, THAT HE COULDN'T LIFT.

SO HER ACCUSATIONS ARE BASELESS, AND IT'S TYPICAL SUSAN, TYPICAL, AS THE KIDS WOULD SAY -- >> PAMELA, WHAT YOU SEE IN THIS FILM IS THESE REALLY DIFFICULT IMAGES OF YOUR GRANDCHILDREN HEARING THAT THEIR MOTHER IS GONE, AND WE ARE ALL COLLECTIVELY WATCHING THIS.

THAT MUST HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO SEE THE FIRST TIME.

BUT THEN TO DECIDE, YEAH, I WANT THE REST OF, WELL, AMERICA OR THE WORLD TO SEE THIS, WHAT MADE YOU SAY, YES, LET'S GO FORWARD?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THAT WAS VERY HEART- WRENCHING, GUT-WRENCHING TO SEE MY GRANDCHILDREN IN SUCH DISTRESS.

BUT AFTER I LOST MY DAUGHTER IN THE MANNER IN WHICH I DID, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU READ ABOUT IN THE PAPER, YOU SEE ON THE NEWS.

THIS HAPPENS TO OTHER FAMILIES.

BUT THIS HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY.

I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY, YOU KNOW.

QUESTIONING WHY.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO COME NEXT.

I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY, YOU KNOW.

WITH OUR GRIEVING, THE GRANDCHILDREN ARE GRIEVING, THE COMMUNITY IS GRIEVING.

I SAID TO MYSELF, IT HAS TO BE MORE THAN JUST GRIEF.

I CAN'T JUST BURY MY CHILD AND JUST WALK AWAY AND THAT'S THE END OF THE STORY.

MY DAUGHTER SAID THE WORLD WOULD KNOW HER NAME.

WE DON'T KNOW THE WHENS, THE WHYS AND THE HOWS, BUT THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD KNOWS HER NAME.

AND I HAD TO HONOR HER.

I HAD TO SHOW UP FOR HER.

I HAD TO BE HER VOICE.

THE MANNER IN WHICH SHE DIED OUT OF PREMISE OF STAND-YOUR-GROUND LAW IS A CLEAR REPRESENTATION OF WHY THIS LAW NEEDS TO BE REPEALED.

AND FOR THAT REASON I SAID, YES, WE NEED, OUR FAMILY, OUR STORY WILL BE THE CALL TO ACTION.

WE'LL BE THE CATALYST TO MAKE REAL CHANGES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR SOCIETY.

>> THE FILM IS ON NETFLIX NOW.

IT'S CALLED "THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR. "

PAMELA, I'M SO SAD FOR YOUR LOSS AND THE LOSS FOR YOUR GRANDCHILDREN.

GEETA GANDBHIR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THE FILM.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

>> THANK YOU.