Posted on 07/22/2015 7:03:16 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The Texas Department of Public Safety has released the dashcam video of the arrest of Sandra Bland. The almost hour long video features the first interaction between Bland and Trooper Brian Encinia after she’s pulled over for not using her turn signal. It seems to be going all right until Encinia tells Bland she seems irritated and Bland confirms it. He then tells Bland to put out her cigarette, but she refuses to because she’s in her own car. Encinia orders her to get out, opens her door, and reaches in. It’s tough to see if he’s trying to pull her out, but it’s possible he was due to the way he’s positioned. Encinia then pulls a Taser and points it at her. Bland gets out and walks around the back of the car, with her phone in her hand. She’s probably recording her interaction with Encinia, which is her right. Bland slams the phone down on the car’s trunk after being ordered to do so. The full video is below and is Not Safe For Work due to language.
The two do get into a fight almost 13 minutes into the video, but it happens off-camera. Cell phone video posted up on YouTube only shows the aftermath.
Some details of the fight are in Encinia’s arrest report.
Bland was placed in handcuffs for officer safety. Bland began swinging her elbows at me and then kicked my right leg in the shin…Force was used to subdue Bland to the ground to which Bland continued to fight back.
The problem is there’s no way of knowing if Encinia is telling the truth because the report doesn’t mention the Taser. The Texas Rangers are trying to figure out why Encinia failed to mention it, but a body camera could have cleared this up. It also could confirm whether Bland’s claims that her head was shoved to the ground are true. It’s important to note Encinia was acting within his authority when he gave her a “lawful order” to get out of the car. It’s part of the Texas Transportation Code, although it doesn’t say if those who disobey get charged with anything. It may just be a fine. But DPS made the right call to put him on desk duty. Director Steve McCraw admitted Encinia didn’t handle the situation well.
A DPS state trooper has an obligation to exhibit professionalism and be courteous throughout the entire contact and that wasn’t the case here.
It’s obvious Encinia lost his cool, and only he and God know why. Bland did mouth off to him, but there’s no reason for him to yell back. The way he handled everything was wrong and it was just stupid of him to tell Bland “good” when she claims to have epilepsy. This doesn’t necessarily absolve Bland of guilt because she shouldn’t have mouthed off to him. But Encinia made things worse by yelling back after she wouldn’t put her cigarette out. He also escalated how things were by getting up in her face when Bland wouldn’t obey his command. Bland may not have even known the “lawful order” rule. I’ve lived in Texas almost my entire life and didn’t even know it. I’d also obey a law enforcement officer’s orders, but that’s how I was raised. Bland may not have been, but I don’t know that. She still shouldn’t have been pulled over in the first place, but not everyone agrees with me. That’s fine, I don’t expect everyone to.
There’s no denying law enforcement officers have a tough, extremely stressful job. There are plenty of good cops out there, and Encinia may be one of them. But there’s no way to defend what he did during the traffic stop. It’s just wrong and unprofessional. Encinia probably isn’t a racist; just someone who lost his temper when he came in contact with someone who was disrespectful. Bland really should be alive today, and hopefully the investigation will clear everything up. It’s possible she did commit suicide in the Waller County Jail. Everyone appears to be open about what’s going on and that’s a good thing. It’s just really disappointing how Encinia reacted and that there wasn’t a body camera to show the rest of the story.
My take: Officer approaches vehicle from behind, driver changes lanes to get out of his way but does not signal. Officer pulls her over. He was going to issue a warning. Sometimes minor infractions lead to discovery of more serious issues like warrants, etc. Officer approaches cautiously. No warrants. Issues warning. Good to go.
Black woman wants to communicate her disgust for being pulled over. Officer is expecting her to be grateful for not giving her a ticket. She starts mouthing off. He gets offended. He decides to assert himself, but she becomes more and more defiant.
The officer might have diffused this by not getting angry.
The woman might have also avoided getting more than a few minutes delay and a warning by showing a little more respect.
Bottom line. Both the cop and woman ended up with a bad day.
Woman ended up dead after that. Apparent suicide. Nothing so far makes me think it was anything but suicide.
Just sad.
Where did I say charge him with a crime? I simply stated the obvious ... this got out of hand when it didn’t need to. Chill, dude.
RE: Bottom line. Both the cop and woman ended up with a bad day.
Still, the disturbing thing that screams for an explanation is this — HOW DID SHE END UP IN JAIL FOR 3 DAYS !!
If this was a minor traffic violation, why was she in jail for DAYS??
If stopped by the police, hand them your drivers’ license, SHUT UP, if they tell you to extinguish your cigarette, EXTINGUISH IT & SHUT UP! (I’m almost 69, was raised to RESPECT AUTHORITY & I repeat, to SHUT UP!)
Smoking in the presence of a Texas DPS officer is now a capital offense.
She refused to sign the warning, then the cig, then the blow up. It should have ended with the warning. There was no fine. Why refuse to sign? That was the defiance I thought started the mess.
I will submit that it was like what you are seeing now.
The difference is the cameras.
She was handcuffed and arrested.
I didn’t know she refused to sign the warning so you got me there. Is that an offence, I don’t know?
It started as a failure to signal, but at the end it’s not a stretch to see any one of a variety of failure to comply, resisting arrest, felony assault/battery (esp since she was in a physical altercation with a cop) charges that could be leveled on her based solely on the cop’s version of events. Which will always take precedence over the “I’m innocent” protestations of the person under arrest, regardless of which parties might be telling the truth or lying.
The cop, though, should have been expected to keep cool and not allow the situation to escalate. I can see how the lighting up of a cigarette could be seen as a challenge and act of insolence (see the old Jeff Foxworthy joke), but the cop still has a duty to at least try to keep the situation under control.
(the Foxworthy joke, btw, was “You know you’re a redneck if your grandmother doesn’t bother to take the Marlboro out of her mouth when she tells the State Trooper to kiss her a**.)
“HOW DID SHE END UP IN JAIL FOR 3 DAYS !!”
It is because the arrest was on a Friday. See the arrest report for that info: http://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/documents/Assault_Public_Servant_redct.PDF
Don’t get yourself arrested on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday... because, if you do, unless you have big connections, you will not be able to get a bail hearing until Monday. This means you will be held until bail can be set. This is something that should have been fixed in our legal system long ago, but it can happen to anyone.
Oh, also, three days without sleep can render the most level-headed person, completely insane with symptoms including hallucinations and extreme paranoia. And being in jail can definitely disrupt normal sleep patterns.
The only time I have ever been inside a jail cell was when I met a police officer to file a theft report. The process of being let in and out made me feel helpless and claustrophobic even though my stay only lasted a few minutes. This was in a pretty decent jurisdiction, and I did not have to encounter anyone who had been arrested. Takeaway: jail is not a very pleasant place.
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