A camcorder was used by a man living nearby who captured an event which would otherwise not have been seen. It was then broadcast world-wide over the main news networks. The camcorder was in the hands of a local resident. He witnessed the beating. Yet it was the image which upset everyone.
Video allows the camera person the conceit of being the storyteller.
However, the story would not have existed without being shown. The policemen were not actors. King was hurt and bruised. Baudrillard wants us to jump to another level, however. He is asking us to look into the way in which the policemen see their own role, how they have become who they are.