# Sandra Bland video **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 22, 2015, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859 "2015-07-22T05:50:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 60
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1181 "2015-07-27T15:18:18Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > I’ll agree with that in that the biggest fuck up (and IMO the only important one of the whole deal) is that she was able to commit suicide under custody. > > Then again, how many people here KNEW they could hang themselves with a garbage bag? > > Did the local jail know? > > Just HOW far should you have to go to prevent someone from commiting suicide? > > And, ironically, if you go too far, you are probably mistreating them or violating their rights some other way. If we can’t prevent this sort of stuff from happening, then maybe society is better served by not locking up someone on such a minor charge in the first place. Then you don’t have to worry about preventing it. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1182 "2015-07-27T15:20:50Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > If we can’t prevent this sort of stuff from happening, then maybe society is better served by not locking up someone on such a minor charge in the first place. Then you don’t have to worry about preventing it. What was the “minor charge”? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1183 "2015-07-27T15:41:28Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > What was the “minor charge”? Lane change. He could have written her a ticket as his “escalation” effort and let her go. No evidence she is a danger to society. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1184 "2015-07-27T15:45:27Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Lane change. But she was not locked up for “lane change”. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1185 "2015-07-27T15:46:51Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > But she was not locked up for “lane change”. And the snake keeps eating its own tail… ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1186 "2015-07-27T15:51:01Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > No evidence she is a danger to society. Driving without insurance? DUI? Assaulting a police officer? No danger to society, she was. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1187 "2015-07-27T15:55:06Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > But she was not locked up for “lane change”. But the rest of the action only happened because the cop did not choose what I said should have been the proper escalation path. Had he written her a ticket and let her go it is most likely that the assault never would have taken place. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1188 "2015-07-27T15:56:45Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Driving without insurance? DUI? Assaulting a police officer? > > No danger to society, she was. Is it your contention that everyone who ever had a DUI should be locked up whenever they commit any future traffic violation, including changing lanes without signaling? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1189 "2015-07-27T15:58:06Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Is it your contention that everyone who ever had a DUI should be locked up whenever they commit any future traffic violation, including changing lanes without signaling? Sure, if they haven’t made restitution for their previous crimes. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1190 "2015-07-27T15:59:19Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > But the rest of the action only happened because the cop did not choose what I said should have been the proper escalation path. Had he written her a ticket and let her go it is most likely that the assault never would have taken place. That is all. Sure. But you said that we shouldn’t lock people up “on such a minor charge”. I agree that people should not be locked up for lane changes. But she was locked up for assault. Whatever you think led to it, “assault” is not “such a minor charge” and yes, people should be locked up for it (until they make bail). ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1191 "2015-07-27T15:59:31Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Lane change. He could have written her a ticket as his “escalation” effort and let her go. No evidence she is a danger to society. AIUI the officer was going to let her off with a warning. Although you are correct that changing lanes is not evidence that she was a danger to society. The $7500 in unpaid fines is another matter. I wonder if the police officer knew, or could have known, about that. Would he have run her plates and/or her driver’s license thru the DMV to see if she had outstanding charges, or a bench warrant, or anything like that? If he did know, it is a little more surprising that he wanted to let her off easy. And she allegedly had a DUI - maybe he was going to order her out of the car to do a field sobriety test. That’s pure speculation on my part, but I can see him doing that, either because he knew about the drunk driving or just because he wanted to do a field sobriety check on her because she was being obstreporous. I have no idea what probable cause a cop in Texas would need before he can do a field sobriety check. I know that in most states you cannot refuse a drunk test if you are driving, and given that he could have arrested her for failing to signal, I suspect she would have no right to refuse a Breathalyzer than she did to refuse to step out of the car when ordered. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1192 "2015-07-27T16:04:29Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > But the rest of the action only happened because the cop did not choose what I said should have been the proper escalation path. Had he written her a ticket and let her go it is most likely that the assault never would have taken place. That is all. Yes, but any wrong action (minor or major, and that’s assuming it is actually WRONG) can cause a cascade that leads to tragedy. The fact it ends in tragedy doesn’t make the original wrong any worse that it would have been without the tragedy. I could get pissed at my neighbor for some crap she’s pulled and cuss her ass out and threaten to sue her. Maybe I’ve overreacted. Maybe my ability to sue her ass is legal bullshit. I didn’t know she had depression and PTSD. I didn’t know she had thousands of dollars in unpaid bills. I didn’t know she had just lost her job. Just how guilty am I because she offs herself over the weekend? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1193 "2015-07-27T16:07:03Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Sure, if they haven’t made restitution for their previous crimes. We’ll have to disagree on that matter. > [@Terr](#): > > Sure. But you said that we shouldn’t lock people up “on such a minor charge”. I agree that people should not be locked up for lane changes. But she was locked up for assault. Whatever you think led to it, “assault” is not “such a minor charge” and yes, people should be locked up for it (until they make bail). I think the cop acted unprofessionally and could easily have avoided the escalation to assault. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1194 "2015-07-27T16:08:35Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I think the cop acted unprofessionally and could easily have avoided the escalation to assault. Which is completely irrelevant to your statement about “locking people up on such a minor charge”. I mean, to take it to the extreme, let’s say the police officer in a hypothetical situation stops someone for a lane change, acts unprofessionally, it escalates to a fight, and the police officer is killed. Should we be locking up the killer “on such a minor charge”? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1195 "2015-07-27T16:13:51Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > We’ll have to disagree on that matter. What’s the point of having fines as punishment (often in lieu of jail time) if people just won’t pay it? ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1196 "2015-07-27T16:16:27Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I have no idea what probable cause a cop in Texas would need before he can do a field sobriety check. I know that in most states you cannot refuse a drunk test if you are driving, and given that he could have arrested her for failing to signal, I suspect she would have no right to refuse a Breathalyzer than she did to refuse to step out of the car when ordered. > > Regards, > Shodan There’s also the possibility that she was impaired due to marijuana. It’s only a possibility, but there were significant amounts in her system when she died, and if she knew she was impaired at the time she was stopped it could account for her reluctance to get out of the car. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1197 "2015-07-27T16:51:33Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > There’s also the possibility that she was impaired due to marijuana. It’s only a possibility, but there were significant amounts in her system when she died, and if she knew she was impaired at the time she was stopped it could account for her reluctance to get out of the car. That’s a possibility. She must have been pretty wasted if she still had a lot in her system three days later, or she got hold of a lot of the stuff while in the pokey. The autopsy also said she had some 30 cuts on her wrist that were at least two weeks old, so she didn’t get them during the arrest. Previous suicide attempt? Self-cutter? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1198 "2015-07-27T16:56:13Z")
She worked at Staples. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1199 "2015-07-27T16:57:40Z")
Maybe she was a mohel in her spare time. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859/1200 "2015-07-27T17:35:44Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > She must have been pretty wasted if she still had a lot in her system three days later, or she got hold of a lot of the stuff while in the pokey. Or that she was a chronic user. A quick Google reveals that the tests for pot are usually for metabolites rather than active ingredients. It also reveals that metabolites maybe present for weeks in some chronic users. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859.md?page=59) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sandra-bland-video/725859.md?page=61)