Posted on 07/22/2015 8:09:54 AM PDT by Mad Dawgg
(CNN)Anger over Sandra Bland's death in a Texas jail has boiled over after newly released video showed what happened at the traffic stop that led to her arrest.
Now, many question whether she should have been arrested at all.
The dashcam video shows Texas state Trooper Brian Encinia pulling Bland over July 10 for allegedly failing to use her turn signal. What started as normal conversation gets testy after Encinia asks her to put out her cigarette.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Just fyi...in TX, all suicides and homicides are investigated as murders (homicides) until after the ME/Coroner makes the final determination. It is standard protocol.
Yes, it is strange.
My guess is because she was black.
They can be used as weapons, but they’re usually used as a distractions so the person can get to a real weapon. I’ve seen it. However, most often, cigs, cloves, and air fresheners are used to mask drug smells (i.e. MJ).
Oh, I see what you mean. I was thinking only about her suicide, not how drugs or alcohol might have affected her behavior during the traffic stop. It could explain her combative and irrational behavior.
posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2015 1:30:49 PM by chris37
Yes, he can, and you have no idea what you are talking about, and a lit cigarette can be used as a dangerous weapon
posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2015 1:35:27 PM by chris37
Are you on drugs chris?
Yes, exactly right.
I’m sure we will find out if she was a stoner.
Again...he ordered her out because she refused to put out her cigarette...I wonder if the report reflects that.
No, I am not on drugs, but apparently you were on alcohol last night and are still on alcohol today.
“Some of the blanket defenders here have even treid to claim the cig was a deadly weapon...”
I never said a cigarette is a deadly weapon.
I said a cigarette can be used as a dangerous weapon today and last night as you have shown by quoting my posts where I said a cigarette can be used as a dangerous weapon, just like it says in the law that I showed you last night, and in the media story that I showed you in which a woman was arrested for assaulting another person with a cigarette, and in the picture I showed you which shows cigarette burns on human skin.
NOW LAY OF THE SAUCE! It ain’t making you any less stupid, Crim.
Optics rule such situations.
What kind of “dangerous weapon” cant be deadly?
The contention in itself that a Cigarette is a weapon AT ALL is laughable....maybe we should hand out packs of smokes for the recruiters so they can defend themselves from jihadis.
Too bad reality doesn’t rule such situations.
You’re right. There isn’t any indication what the officer thought about the cig either way. He may of thought it a threat or an interference to his duty or he may have just been a jerk. Either way, it doesn’t matter. He gave her a lawful order, which she refused. Her refusal of a lawful order is why he told her to exit the vehicle. She refused that lawful order as well, which escalated the situation. He handled is poorly, but was within his authority. His reasoning is anybody’s guess, but his actions were fully legal, although bad policy.
“What kind of “dangerous weapon” cant be deadly?”
You tell me. You are the one who apparently does not know the difference between the words “dangerous” and “deadly”.
Like I told you, your attempting to read while drunk makes you look stupid.
And if you think a cigarette being able to be used as a weapon is laughable, I tell you what, why don’t you light up a cigarette and put it out on your arm, or no, better yet, light up a cigarette and extinguish it on your eyeball.
Let me know how much it makes you laugh then.
Well well....now the dash cam video has been edited.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3315219/posts
Also, rushismyteddybear posted the link in response to this post by montag813:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3315074/posts?page=9#9
Many dangerous weapons are not always defined as deadly. Why do you think officers carry things called ‘less lethal’ or ‘less than lethal’ weapons. A taser will not generally cause death unless the person has specific physical ailments. A baton will not cause death unless improperly used (i.e. strike to the head). All of these are classified as ‘dangerous weapons’, but not deadly force weapons. Even fists or a purse can be classified under TX law as dangerous weapons in certain circumstances.
Each can cause death under certain circumstances, but not likely if properly used. Likewise, I suppose, if you hold a cig again a carotid artery then you could also cause death. A ‘dangerous weapon’ is defined by TX code as any instrument that can cause bodily or severe bodily harm (i.e. bodily harm = a bruise or burn).
The bigger issue to me is whether the smoke could mask other smells like MJ. She was previously arrested for possession of MJ, and spent 30 days in jail for it. MJ is illegal in TX and the cop would have known her history from calling it in thru dispatch.
Regardless of the cop’s motivation, the order to put out the cig was a lawful order so her refusal to do it was a violation of the law.
"The 52 minute video shows Encinia approaching the car and asking if Bland is irritated. Bland says she is upset for being stopped for such a minor issue."
The trooper then asks Bland to put out her cigarette, which she refuses to do, setting off an argument that leads to Encinia pointing a taser at her and shouting: 'I will light you up.'
Bland asks at least 10 times about why she is being arrested before Encinia replies she is resisting arrest."
The old "you are being arrested for resisting being arrested" maneuver... An oldie but a goodie.
I think both sides were wrong, but the cop was in the greater wrong. He was trying to provoke a confrontation.
1. Pulling over a driver for not using lights is ridiculous. Why even bother? Isn’t there other , more pressing tasks this cop could do? Like actually fight crime?
2. In no way did this woman sound impaired when she was talking. There was no justification for trying to prove she was under the influence.
3. When he gave her the warning, he should have ended the interaction. Asking her if she was irritated was a provocation.
4. When she told him why she was irritated, he made a snarky verbal response in turn.
5. He then asks her to put out her cig, way beyond the time this interaction should have ended.
She then became in the wrong by refusing to get out of the car.The request to get out of the car was out of line, but at that point she should have realized she was dealing with a power hungry cop, complied, and fought this in court. I find it very interesting that the alleged physical altercation was out of camera range, which I suspect was a deliberate move by the cop. So now, after seeing this cops prior behavior, I would not believe anything he said.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.