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Those Lying Bastards: Sandra Bland’s Arrest Is Textbook On “Black Experience” With Police In America

While the black community is once again being asked to reframe from drawing conclusions over exactly how 28-year-old Sandra A. Bland died at a Waller Texas County Jail, new video has emerged showing exactly what happened when Texas State Trooper Brian T. Encinia pulled Bland over for allegedly failing to signal during a lane change. The video shockingly depicts Encinia conducting himself in an unprofessional manner, appearing to escalate the encounter with Bland, and displaying behavior that has even drawn criticism from state lawmakers who largely have concluded that Bland’s arrest was unjustified after having viewed the police cruiser dash cam video.

Although the video bares out exactly what happened, somehow Bland is still being classified as a combative during the traffic stop. The very inference of such an adjective being appropriate for Sandra Bland’s interaction with this police officer flirts dangerously with competent and logical thinking. Even a person without law enforcement training should reasonably have concern over why Encinia found it necessary to inquire about Bland’s personal mood (“You appear agitated for some reason”). Duuuuuuh! This guy is a freaking “rocket scientist.” I mean exactly how many traffic stops has this officer had in his career where the suspect didn’t display some measure of indifference over having been pulled over (meaning ticket fine or court cost) and consequently having fear of potentially incurring a lost of personal revenue.

Furthermore, given the nature of the state of Texas’ storied past of racial intolerance, coupled with high profiled police encounters where unarmed black people have been killed by white officers, on it’s face could have elicited obvious agitation alone from Ms. Bland. Encinia’s behavior only intensified an apparent tense situation. Her response to his inquiry regarding her apparently being “irritated” had absolutely nothing to do with the purpose for his traffic stop of Ms. Bland. Instead of focusing on the alleged traffic “moving violation,” Encinia appears to almost entice Bland into a confrontation. While she took full advantage of his inquiry of her being irritated regarding the traffic stop, none of her comments to the officer warranted her ultimately being taken into custody.

When the video of Encinia’s traffic stop of Bland is viewed in its entirety, the infraction she was allegedly stopped for is perhaps one of the most “ticky tacky” provocations I have ever viewed surrounding being cited for a traffic violation. Almost immediately Encinia seems to question Bland’s mood by asking her “what’s wrong,” as if she had no right to inquire about the cause for being stopped. He goes on to ask her “where are you headed to now,” before returning to his police cruiser to run her driving credentials. That inquiry seems to be a standard question of African Americans by police, inferring the probability of a black person not having a legitimate reason for being in the area of the traffic stop. Sadly, Encinia’s behavior mirrors the posture of the average white police officer, who seem to view suspects of any ethnicity as having no recourse during police encounters, or not even the right of being indifferent.

Encinia obviously became upset over Ms. Bland’s candor over her displeasure of being stopped, her mood and attitude are inconsequential to his ability to perform his job effectively. Encinia is the trained public official who should remain professional at all times. However, the sharp tongue of an educated black woman somehow busted his ego, and he chose to escalate the situations by feeding into Bland’s “irritation.” His own admission that he was actually prepared to only give Bland a warning, demonstrates how he even viewed the stop as being very minor. The most disturbing aspect of his entire encounter Encinia had with this lady stems from his request for her to put out her cigarette. Utilizing what many have dubbed as a “secret provocation” by police to intensify their engagement with suspects, he attempts to create the possibility of a cigarette somehow being a safety issue.

Bland’s response regarding being in her car and not being required by law to put out her cigarette wasn’t a violation of any kind. Encinia’s action after that were in fact illegal and he even lied about it in his police report and charging document in Bland’s arrest. Her refusal to comply with the request regarding her cigarette set Encinia off, and he angrily requested for her to get out of her car (Over a cigarette?). While attempting to extract Bland from her vehicle, she asked why she was being taken out of her car when she wasn’t under arrest. Encinia responds “You are under arrest.” Bland asked Encinia “I’m under arrest for what? For What? For What?” When he fails to respond to her request to know why he was using force she then aksed, “Why am I being apprehended” two separate times, and Encinia never informed her why he was using force or the cause of her arrest. In fact, he failed to even follow basic police procedure which requires an officer to fully explain why a request is being made, and the consequences for not complying with a lawful police order.

In the melee between Encinia and Bland, she clearly became combative once he began to use force, prior to that she was properly exerting her rights as a citizen. She should not have to “cow tow” and bow down to him just because he is a police officer, and when a seemingly unlawful request is made of a person by a police officer I’m inclined to believe that its a request that a citizen is not bound by law to comply with. He attempted to drag her out of her car because his ego got bruised, and he overzealously used his authority in retaliation for her basically failing to “kiss his white ass.” After his attempt to physically remove her from the car failed, he drew his tazer, and coerced Bland out of the vehicle under duress by saying, “I’ll light you up.” Bland complied and as she exited her vehicle voluntarily, Encinia directed her to the side walk (out of view of his dash cam) where she promptly proceeded to.

The death of Sandra Bland is difficult to understand given the nature of the minor traffic violation she was being given a warning for, and subsequently escalated into a violent confrontation with a Texas State Trooper. It’s just the indisputable facts that landed her in a county jail that makes this case so unnerving. You can view Bland’s Charging document from here:
Affidavit for Complaint and Warrant For Arrest

 

The Affidavit and Complaint For Warrant Of Arrest And Detention document which outlines the nature of charges against Sandra Bland depict Encinia’s claim that he only “had Bland exit the vehicle to further conduct a safe traffic investigation. Now, after viewing the video from his dash cam, we now know that this assertion in her charging document is basically a blatant lie. Encinia is clearly seen approaching Bland’s vehicle after he ran her driving credentials, and began the process of what he described on video, as a “warning citation.” Once an officer begins the citation process, for the most part the investigation is over. Additionally, at the 10:09 mark of the dash cam video, Encinia can clearly be heard telling Bland that “you are under arrest,” although he never advised her why. So, his assertion that he just wanted to insure a safe traffic investigation is complete fabrication. From the video it appears that Bland was being arrested for not putting out her cigarette.

To further expound on the integrity of this “dirt bag” cop and others just like him, I’ll direct your attention to the fashion in which Encinia constructs his cause for arrest of Ms. Bland in the charging paperwork. In the charging document he asserts that he placed her in handcuffs for officer safety, but he had already advised Bland that she was under arrest. The officer safety claim is over used by police, and a complete loophole in the criminal justice system in this country, that allows officers to get away with just about anything on the premise of some type of purported fear. According to Encinia’s charging document of Bland, she wasn’t arrested until she allegedly kicked him in the leg. However, at the 12:18 mark of the dash cam video Encinia can be heard telling Bland that “you were getting a warning, but now your going to jail,” with bland repeatedly asking why several more times, and Encinia failing to advise her as to why she was being placed under arrest. This is contrary to Encinia’s claim that she was placed in handcuffs for safety purposes.

Moreover, Bland was already in handcuffs (12:35 mark: “I got her in control she is in handcuffs”), by most law enforcement standards that is pretty much a secure situation. The aggressive nature that Encinia handle her began at this point. It seems that at the 13:08 mark in the video when another police unit was observed arriving on the scene from the left side of the video, Encinia began to escalate the use of force on Bland, and at the 13:15 – 13:19 mark of the video (time enough for backup to get out of the car and assist) the violent struggle which resulted in Bland being slammed to the ground actually occurred. Assuming that the escalation of force was precipitated by Bland allegedly assaulting this officer, it came well after Encinia had advised Bland that she was under arrest and going to jail multiple times. These facts dispute Encinia’s charging documents which attempts to establish the reason for arrest was due to Bland having committed an Assault on a Public Servant.

Even the alleged assault by Bland on Encinia appears to be very problematic. He describes the assault as Bland “swinging her elbows” and then “kicked my right leg in the shin.” The claims by this officer seem preposterous on it’s face, but the dash cam video completely destroys any notion what so ever that the encounter with Ms. Bland transpired in the fashion that officer Encinia indicated in police reports. While the cause of Sandra A. Bland’s death is being disputed, its completely separate from the incident which landed her in police custody and into a county jail where she subsequently died several days later.

Every day it seems, new evidence is emerging which challenge and question the commission, integrity, and motive for police officers while arresting or encountering people of color in this country. If nothing else, the video of Bland’s encounter with this white officer, coupled with his manipulated reports misrepresenting the facts, should be textbook on the “Black Experience” while dealing with police in this country. The dash cam video of this incident should be sufficient grounds to charge officer Encinia with False Arrest, and the falsification of official documents in this case. At the 14:48 mark of the dash cam video, Encinia is once again heard making comments which dispute the cause of her arrest. “For onlya warning, you are going to jail for resisting arrest.” Which is it, resisting or assault? We should demand his firing immediately. Her family and friends deserves as much, to at least preserve the integrity of her memory.

The People’s Champion
I’m Crime Writer David B. Adams

David Adams

David B. Adams grew up in the Highlandtown section of Baltimore's southeast district and is his parent's youngest child. He experienced pervasive poverty, which taught him humility and compassion for the plight of others. His exposure to violence and gritty urban life were some of his early lessons of life's many hardships. Adams credits the upheavals he endured during his conformity with helping to shape the foundation of his outlook and perspectives on society. With a steadfast commitment to giving voice to the voiceless, Adams is a journalist, crime writer, and blogger renowned for tireless investigative journalism and advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations. As founder and administrator of The People's Champion, Adams sheds light on critical social issues, championing the rights of: - Homeless individuals - Victims of violent crime and their families - Wrongfully convicted individuals - Missing and exploited children; Additionally, he is a seasoned investigative reporter, Adams has earned recognition for relentless pursuit of truth and justice. With a strong national and global focus, on inspiring meaningful change and crucial conversations impacting all of humanity.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:
TwitterFacebookLinkedInGoogle Plus

While the black community is once again being asked to reframe from drawing conclusions over exactly how 28-year-old Sandra A. Bland died at a Waller Texas County Jail, new video has emerged showing exactly what happened when Texas State Trooper Brian T. Encinia pulled Bland over for allegedly failing to signal during a lane change. The video shockingly depicts Encinia conducting himself in an unprofessional manner, appearing to escalate the encounter with Bland, and displaying behavior that has even drawn criticism from state lawmakers who largely have concluded that Bland’s arrest was unjustified after having viewed the police cruiser dash cam video.

Although the video bares out exactly what happened, somehow Bland is still being classified as a combative during the traffic stop. The very inference of such an adjective being appropriate for Sandra Bland’s interaction with this police officer flirts dangerously with competent and logical thinking. Even a person without law enforcement training should reasonably have concern over why Encinia found it necessary to inquire about Bland’s personal mood (“You appear agitated for some reason”). Duuuuuuh! This guy is a freaking “rocket scientist.” I mean exactly how many traffic stops has this officer had in his career where the suspect didn’t display some measure of indifference over having been pulled over (meaning ticket fine or court cost) and consequently having fear of potentially incurring a lost of personal revenue.

Furthermore, given the nature of the state of Texas’ storied past of racial intolerance, coupled with high profiled police encounters where unarmed black people have been killed by white officers, on it’s face could have elicited obvious agitation alone from Ms. Bland. Encinia’s behavior only intensified an apparent tense situation. Her response to his inquiry regarding her apparently being “irritated” had absolutely nothing to do with the purpose for his traffic stop of Ms. Bland. Instead of focusing on the alleged traffic “moving violation,” Encinia appears to almost entice Bland into a confrontation. While she took full advantage of his inquiry of her being irritated regarding the traffic stop, none of her comments to the officer warranted her ultimately being taken into custody.

When the video of Encinia’s traffic stop of Bland is viewed in its entirety, the infraction she was allegedly stopped for is perhaps one of the most “ticky tacky” provocations I have ever viewed surrounding being cited for a traffic violation. Almost immediately Encinia seems to question Bland’s mood by asking her “what’s wrong,” as if she had no right to inquire about the cause for being stopped. He goes on to ask her “where are you headed to now,” before returning to his police cruiser to run her driving credentials. That inquiry seems to be a standard question of African Americans by police, inferring the probability of a black person not having a legitimate reason for being in the area of the traffic stop. Sadly, Encinia’s behavior mirrors the posture of the average white police officer, who seem to view suspects of any ethnicity as having no recourse during police encounters, or not even the right of being indifferent.

Encinia obviously became upset over Ms. Bland’s candor over her displeasure of being stopped, her mood and attitude are inconsequential to his ability to perform his job effectively. Encinia is the trained public official who should remain professional at all times. However, the sharp tongue of an educated black woman somehow busted his ego, and he chose to escalate the situations by feeding into Bland’s “irritation.” His own admission that he was actually prepared to only give Bland a warning, demonstrates how he even viewed the stop as being very minor. The most disturbing aspect of his entire encounter Encinia had with this lady stems from his request for her to put out her cigarette. Utilizing what many have dubbed as a “secret provocation” by police to intensify their engagement with suspects, he attempts to create the possibility of a cigarette somehow being a safety issue.

Bland’s response regarding being in her car and not being required by law to put out her cigarette wasn’t a violation of any kind. Encinia’s action after that were in fact illegal and he even lied about it in his police report and charging document in Bland’s arrest. Her refusal to comply with the request regarding her cigarette set Encinia off, and he angrily requested for her to get out of her car (Over a cigarette?). While attempting to extract Bland from her vehicle, she asked why she was being taken out of her car when she wasn’t under arrest. Encinia responds “You are under arrest.” Bland asked Encinia “I’m under arrest for what? For What? For What?” When he fails to respond to her request to know why he was using force she then aksed, “Why am I being apprehended” two separate times, and Encinia never informed her why he was using force or the cause of her arrest. In fact, he failed to even follow basic police procedure which requires an officer to fully explain why a request is being made, and the consequences for not complying with a lawful police order.

In the melee between Encinia and Bland, she clearly became combative once he began to use force, prior to that she was properly exerting her rights as a citizen. She should not have to “cow tow” and bow down to him just because he is a police officer, and when a seemingly unlawful request is made of a person by a police officer I’m inclined to believe that its a request that a citizen is not bound by law to comply with. He attempted to drag her out of her car because his ego got bruised, and he overzealously used his authority in retaliation for her basically failing to “kiss his white ass.” After his attempt to physically remove her from the car failed, he drew his tazer, and coerced Bland out of the vehicle under duress by saying, “I’ll light you up.” Bland complied and as she exited her vehicle voluntarily, Encinia directed her to the side walk (out of view of his dash cam) where she promptly proceeded to.

The death of Sandra Bland is difficult to understand given the nature of the minor traffic violation she was being given a warning for, and subsequently escalated into a violent confrontation with a Texas State Trooper. It’s just the indisputable facts that landed her in a county jail that makes this case so unnerving. You can view Bland’s Charging document from here:
Affidavit for Complaint and Warrant For Arrest

 

The Affidavit and Complaint For Warrant Of Arrest And Detention document which outlines the nature of charges against Sandra Bland depict Encinia’s claim that he only “had Bland exit the vehicle to further conduct a safe traffic investigation. Now, after viewing the video from his dash cam, we now know that this assertion in her charging document is basically a blatant lie. Encinia is clearly seen approaching Bland’s vehicle after he ran her driving credentials, and began the process of what he described on video, as a “warning citation.” Once an officer begins the citation process, for the most part the investigation is over. Additionally, at the 10:09 mark of the dash cam video, Encinia can clearly be heard telling Bland that “you are under arrest,” although he never advised her why. So, his assertion that he just wanted to insure a safe traffic investigation is complete fabrication. From the video it appears that Bland was being arrested for not putting out her cigarette.

To further expound on the integrity of this “dirt bag” cop and others just like him, I’ll direct your attention to the fashion in which Encinia constructs his cause for arrest of Ms. Bland in the charging paperwork. In the charging document he asserts that he placed her in handcuffs for officer safety, but he had already advised Bland that she was under arrest. The officer safety claim is over used by police, and a complete loophole in the criminal justice system in this country, that allows officers to get away with just about anything on the premise of some type of purported fear. According to Encinia’s charging document of Bland, she wasn’t arrested until she allegedly kicked him in the leg. However, at the 12:18 mark of the dash cam video Encinia can be heard telling Bland that “you were getting a warning, but now your going to jail,” with bland repeatedly asking why several more times, and Encinia failing to advise her as to why she was being placed under arrest. This is contrary to Encinia’s claim that she was placed in handcuffs for safety purposes.

Moreover, Bland was already in handcuffs (12:35 mark: “I got her in control she is in handcuffs”), by most law enforcement standards that is pretty much a secure situation. The aggressive nature that Encinia handle her began at this point. It seems that at the 13:08 mark in the video when another police unit was observed arriving on the scene from the left side of the video, Encinia began to escalate the use of force on Bland, and at the 13:15 – 13:19 mark of the video (time enough for backup to get out of the car and assist) the violent struggle which resulted in Bland being slammed to the ground actually occurred. Assuming that the escalation of force was precipitated by Bland allegedly assaulting this officer, it came well after Encinia had advised Bland that she was under arrest and going to jail multiple times. These facts dispute Encinia’s charging documents which attempts to establish the reason for arrest was due to Bland having committed an Assault on a Public Servant.

Even the alleged assault by Bland on Encinia appears to be very problematic. He describes the assault as Bland “swinging her elbows” and then “kicked my right leg in the shin.” The claims by this officer seem preposterous on it’s face, but the dash cam video completely destroys any notion what so ever that the encounter with Ms. Bland transpired in the fashion that officer Encinia indicated in police reports. While the cause of Sandra A. Bland’s death is being disputed, its completely separate from the incident which landed her in police custody and into a county jail where she subsequently died several days later.

Every day it seems, new evidence is emerging which challenge and question the commission, integrity, and motive for police officers while arresting or encountering people of color in this country. If nothing else, the video of Bland’s encounter with this white officer, coupled with his manipulated reports misrepresenting the facts, should be textbook on the “Black Experience” while dealing with police in this country. The dash cam video of this incident should be sufficient grounds to charge officer Encinia with False Arrest, and the falsification of official documents in this case. At the 14:48 mark of the dash cam video, Encinia is once again heard making comments which dispute the cause of her arrest. “For onlya warning, you are going to jail for resisting arrest.” Which is it, resisting or assault? We should demand his firing immediately. Her family and friends deserves as much, to at least preserve the integrity of her memory.

The People’s Champion
I’m Crime Writer David B. Adams

David Adams

David B. Adams grew up in the Highlandtown section of Baltimore's southeast district and is his parent's youngest child. He experienced pervasive poverty, which taught him humility and compassion for the plight of others. His exposure to violence and gritty urban life were some of his early lessons of life's many hardships. Adams credits the upheavals he endured during his conformity with helping to shape the foundation of his outlook and perspectives on society. With a steadfast commitment to giving voice to the voiceless, Adams is a journalist, crime writer, and blogger renowned for tireless investigative journalism and advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations. As founder and administrator of The People's Champion, Adams sheds light on critical social issues, championing the rights of: - Homeless individuals - Victims of violent crime and their families - Wrongfully convicted individuals - Missing and exploited children; Additionally, he is a seasoned investigative reporter, Adams has earned recognition for relentless pursuit of truth and justice. With a strong national and global focus, on inspiring meaningful change and crucial conversations impacting all of humanity.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:
TwitterFacebookLinkedInGoogle Plus

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