Sandra Bland traffic stop (Video)

Texas Department of Public Safety ^ | Jul 21, 2015 | Texas Department of Public Safety

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

The officer was jerk. I didn’t think she was that bad considering. I cannot say what happened in the jail cell, but the arrest was completely unreasonable.

[BunnySlippers]

You cannot resist arrest because it is unreasonable. And what makes you think it was unreasonable.

When you are stopped by the police, and you don’t agree with him/her ... do you resist? Do you shou=ut insults at theca? Do you fight with them if they cuff you?

If the answers are “yes”, you may end up in trouble the next time you are stopped.

[TheConservator]

I would be interested in someone offering a moment by moment legal analysis of what’s happening.

The key moments start when he asks her what’s wrong. She responds, giving her version of the events (You pulled me over for no good reason). He doesn’t like that—even though she responded directly to his exact question.

Then, he orders her to put out her cigarette. She refuses. He then orders her out of the car. She obviously considered that order unlawful. Was it? It seemed kind of borderline to me.

[Irenic]

I agree but she handled it poorly. She should have complied but then used whatever legal means available to ensure that the officers power-trip broke his *****. She could have made his life miserable.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

I didn’t say the stop wasn’t justified. The ARREST was not justified. Ordering her to put out her cigarette or antagonizing her with questions about whether she was mad and then faulting her for answering. She did not think she should be ordered out of the car. She may have been scared, give the recent news (wrongly, but still..). He should not have been such a shouting jerk. Later he told the other cop that he tried to calm her down. HE IS LYING. He did not, rather he tried to antagonize her.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Did you watch the video. I watched it for 23 minutes. I started out already sure it was her fault. The video completely changed my mind.

[TheConservator]

During the arrest, she does say something about having epilepsy. Wonder if that might somehow be related to her death?

[BunnySlippers]

Once you go done that road of “explaining”, it never stops.

You may get a lousy cop. Do what he says. Sign the ticket, drive off free. ‘’Then throw the book at him.

He is in control until you can leave.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

She should have complied but he was being scary and unreasonable. I can actually understand her resistance, which really was not all that bad. She simply did not understand why she was being arrested for a failure to signal.

[Dallas59]

A cop doesn’t know you from shinola. You can be the nicest person on Earth and still have a warrant, have a body in the car, drugs (especially Texas) be high. When an officer gives you an order, you do it. Federal Law says so.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

She was scared. Frankly after seeing the video, I don’t blame her.

[chris37]

He was being perfectly pleasant to her until she started giving him attitude and lip, then she disobeyed him.

She clearly is the one who escalated it.

[BunnySlippers]

The police can LAWFULLY order you out of the car, they can search you. They can order you in the car again.

You are not allowed to say [or think], that’s stupid, I’m not going to do that.

Or you risk arrest.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

He also took a ridiculous amount of time to even give her the ticket. Then he said with attitude, “Is something wrong?” She said, “I’m waiting for you, it’s your job...”

[Dallas59]

The relevant Supreme Court cases here is Pennsylvania v. Mimms, the TL;DR of which is that orders given by an officer to the driver in a traffic stop must be followed to maintain the safety of the officer (like danger from oncoming cars while standing in an active roadway). A further Supreme Court case (Maryland v. Wilson) extends the officer the right to do the same thing for both the driver and their passengers. There's also this particular Texas law:
Texas law: Sec. 542.501 - A person may not willfully fail or refuse to comply with a lawful order or direction of...a police officer
So when he did order her to put out the cigarette or step out of the car, she was obligated under Texas state law as well as US federal law to obey his directions. He doesn't have to give a reason, and disobeying a lawful order can quickly become a reason for an arrest, even if it seems crazy.
Basically, if you or any motorist is ever pulled over for a traffic stop, this description quoted above is fairly accurate in any part of the country.
Basically just be respectful, don't be a smart ass, and if you're given an order from a LEO, follow it calmly and politely. If it's something you don't agree to, but it looks like it's probably going to happen anyway, let them know that you don't consent to whatever it is, but follow the order anyways.

[eddie willers]

I didn’t think she was that bad considering

Yes she was. Comply, comply, comply. How hard is that?

[BunnySlippers]

All she needed to do was obey orders. She did exactly the opposite.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Maybe he can lawfully be a jerk but he did lie to his fellow officer when he said he tried to calm her down. He did not. He yelled at her to calm down. That is not the same thing at all. You should watch more of the video.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Did you watch it through 23 minutes?

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Watch more of the video, Bunny. He was both a jerk and a liar.