Sandra Bland/Waller County

[thetragichippy]

Watching the video I thought it was interesting that when she was pulled from the car they ended up just out of camera view.  I'm interested to see if the autopsy reveals any head trauma she may have suffered from getting taken down.

​Even if it did, would only prove she hit her head during a legal arrest.  She was alive when she went in the cell, and she hung herself. It seems pretty cut and dry. 

[CougarCal]

​Even if it did, would only prove she hit her head during a legal arrest.  She was alive when she went in the cell, and she hung herself. It seems pretty cut and dry. 

Wasn't the arresting officer put on administrative duty or something for not following protocol or something like that?  Another thing, is it illegal for the second person that was way away from the scene that was videoing it?  The policeman points at him and says you need to leave.  Why?

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

Why is there a 60 gallon trash bag in the holding cell?

​same thing I said to myself. 

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

I agree with what TVC previously said, autopsy case. Gonna have to wait on that. 

[bullets13]

People now claiming the video was edited.  I would assume that the camera had some sort of malfunction, as I find it hard to believe that they would edit it so obviously and release it.  

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

People now claiming the video was edited.  I would assume that the camera had some sort of malfunction, as I find it hard to believe that they would edit it so obviously and release it.  

​i watched it, I counted nine times late in the footage where it looked edited but the audio is not edited thats for sure. But where it looks edited was well after the woman was put in a squad car. 

[thetragichippy]

Wasn't the arresting officer put on administrative duty or something for not following protocol or something like that?  Another thing, is it illegal for the second person that was way away from the scene that was videoing it?  The policeman points at him and says you need to leave.  Why?

​Yes.....he broke policies but that does not mean he caused death.

[bullets13]

​i watched it, I counted nine times late in the footage where it looked edited but the audio is not edited thats for sure. But where it looks edited was well after the woman was put in a squad car. 

 Not sure what there would be to edit at that point, especially if the audio is rolling.

[CougarCal]

​Yes.....he broke policies but that does not mean he caused death.

I don't think he caused her death either, but if he hadn't broken those policies, would she have died in the jail cell?

[BLUEDOVE3]

One of the things I admired about DPS at one time was that they took pride in being a professional law enforcement officer. People would act crazy on 290, but they kept their cool. 

[BLUEDOVE3]

​Yes.....he broke policies but that does not mean he caused death.

​He could have also handled the situation better.

One of the things I admired about DPS at one time was that they took pride in being a professional law enforcement officer. People would act crazy on 290, but they kept their cool. 

[tvc184]

After watching the dash cam video my thoughts are this:

1. She was rude as heck during the entire traffic stop.

Yep.

2. That policeman just seemed to be out looking for the smallest of infractions to pull people over in my opinion for it to lead to something larger.  (Boy did it ever) looked like he was at or near Prarie View A&M so was he profiling? Liked to see who all he pulled over during his shift.

Yes, that is called police work as far as a small infraction. The Oklahoma City bomber, Tim McVeigh was arrested about an hour and a half later by a trooper on a license plate violation. That led to an illegal gun arrest and an eventual solving of the largest domestic terror attack in US history. I was on one traffic stop for a headlight out that led to two murder warrants being served. I could go on but hopefully you see the point. 

3. He seemed to escalate the situation himself.

Obviously we watched a different video.............. 

4. It's really sad that a violation that was going to be a warning ended up with a woman dead in a jail cell.  Who knows, whether or not this would've happened if she weren't there, but she didn't need to be there.

The only person responsible for her being in jail was her. Again, when is someone other than the police going to start preaching to stop fighting with officers, stop following lawful orders, stop running, etc. It is not a hard concept. If an officer stops you, generally speaking the law requires you to comply with his requests or orders. 

5. Still a lot of stones to turn over in this case.

Probably not. I think there is about a 98% chance that everything that is going to be known about this case is already known. I am sure that some people wish that there were some more stones. With I think two autopsies done and with 24 hour video of the hallway in front of the cell, unless there is something huge that is not being divulged, the case is almost closed. Of course like the Michael Brown case, the FBI can come in and run an 8 month investigation to find out what was obvious about 24 hours into the investigation. 

​

 

[tvc184]

Watching the video I thought it was interesting that when she was pulled from the car they ended up just out of camera view.  I'm interested to see if the autopsy reveals any head trauma she may have suffered from getting taken down.

​If the medical examiner did the autopsy and ruled homicide, it is very unlikely that there was any questionable brain trauma that might have caused death. Any three day old wound would likely still show up but if there was a struggle, there was almost certainly minor wounds to both the officer and her. 

[CougarCal]

TVC184, if the officer here didn't do something wrong why was he placed on administrative whatever it was for not following protocol?  Would it have been too much for him to hand her the warning and just say have a good day ma'am?  I understand all of the tactics and questions policeman use, but it just seemed to me she hated the police and he could've handled a bit different.  She posed no threat especially considering that illegal lane change she did.

[tvc184]

Wasn't the arresting officer put on administrative duty or something for not following protocol or something like that?  Another thing, is it illegal for the second person that was way away from the scene that was videoing it?  The policeman points at him and says you need to leave.  Why?

Why on leave?

​1. It is DPS and they do not like to be in the spotlight.

2. Just in case there is anything to it, they are not taking any chances or at least the appearance of not taking chance.

3. Policy can be anything that the boss wants. In some agencies an officer can follow state law and simply arrest for any offense. Some for example might be more restrictive (usually because they are a very busy department) and it requires a supervisor approval to make a minor traffic arrest. Heck, in Jefferson County we simply cuff people and head to jail. In Harris County the officers have to call the DA direct, explain the case and then get approval for charges being filed. If an officer violates policy (like when I started, not wearing your hat when you got out of the car was a violation), he can be held accountable just like any other employee. If a person is a secretary at a local company and shows up late, the person can be fired (or likely just because the boss doesn't like the person). It has nothing to do with the law or what is legal and everything to do with the boss not liking something. 
 

Taping? 

It is legal to tape. It is not legal to be close enough to be a threat to officers and it can be a crime, circumstances depending. 

[tvc184]

TVC184, if the officer here didn't do something wrong why was he placed on administrative whatever it was for not following protocol?  Would it have been too much for him to hand her the warning and just say have a good day ma'am?  I understand all of the tactics and questions policeman use, but it just seemed to me she hated the police and he could've handled a bit different.  She posed no threat especially considering that illegal lane change she did.

​Also, doing something wrong....

We have more rules to follow than almost any other job. An officer in my department can be suspended for crossing an imaginary line in the city (district) without permission from a supervisor. DPS has already said that this officer violated their "courtesy" policy. Okay, he was rude. Normally he would not have been suspended but most such cases are not on the national news. We handle those kinds of complaints all the time. 

Could he have handled it better? Sure. Did that make him violating the law? No. She almost certainly did however on several counts. If rudeness in the heat of the moment was an automatic firing offense, we would have 800,000 cops in this country with less than 1 year of experience. 

[tvc184]

​He could have also handled the situation better.

One of the things I admired about DPS at one time was that they took pride in being a professional law enforcement officer. People would act crazy on 290, but they kept their cool. 

​They still do. You say "they" because one officer was too rude for some people. The head of the agency suspended him with pay however so "they" are still worried about image. 

I always find it interesting that no one wants to be judged as part of a group rather as an individual but is more than willing to do the same to others. 

Edited July 22, 2015 by tvc184

[CougarCal]

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[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

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​standard background questioning, our incoming inmates in Abilene had to go through the same deal. 

[tvc184]

​standard background questioning, our incoming inmates in Abilene had to go through the same deal. 

Yep, standard intake questions and usually medical exam. 

[bullets13]

Until the media quits making martyrs out of criminals, we're going to continue to see asinine behavior from citizens in situations like this.  And even though police are held to higher standards than the general public, that does not mean they deserve all the blame when they lose their cool in a situation that someone else instigated.  Bland's family is probably about to get a million bucks because their daughter was a total A-hole during a traffic stop, a trooper responded to her rudeness with rudeness of his own, and then she killed herself 3 days later.  How does that make any sense? All of this because of public outrage generated by a non-story being made into a sensation in a media climate where police misdeeds (both real and imagined) are the quickest way to get Internet traffic and tv audiences.  

[5GallonBucket]

Everything has become entertainment for the news....all about headlines all about people buying the paper, corporate wanting more viewers, internet views....all about numbers and in the end  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$...oh and wait its also about division, change, manipulation, etc etc etc.   

[Hagar]

Why is there a 60 gallon trash bag in the holding cell?

Why a 60 gallon trash bag?  I'm glad CC & BG don't know, but in my misspend youth, in Army, on weekend pass, there were times when I consumed so much "adult beverages, I could have almost filled it up (hope my grand kids don't read this, they think I'm a pretty good guy lol).

 

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

Why a 60 gallon trash bag?  I'm glad CC & BG don't know, but in my misspend youth, in Army, on weekend pass, there were times when I consumed so much "adult beverages, I could have almost filled it up (hope my grand kids don't read this, they think I'm a pretty good guy lol).

 

​same here in dorm parties, but she was in a single cell, I can see why that question came up. Multiple bunks ive read, could have been put in a cell with others, but was a said "risk"…… now that I can't buy, sry. 

[BLUEDOVE3]

​They still do. You say "they" because one officer was too rude for some people. The head of the agency suspended him with pay however so "they" are still worried about image. 

I always find it interesting that no one wants to be judged as part of a group rather as an individual but is more than willing to do the same to others. 

​Because that individual represents the group. Everytime you put on your uniform, you are also representing your group. Plain and simple.