Dash-cam video of Sandra Bland‘s confrontation with a Texas police officer has been released. It began as a routine traffic stop for failure to signal a lane change. At one point the officer tells Bland she seems irritated and she agrees and it went down hill from there. Specifically, when Bland refused to put out a lit cigarette, it started the argument that led to her arrest.
“I’m going to drag you out of here. Get out of the car! I will light you up, get out!” the officer shouts.
Both walk off-camera but the officer is wearing a microphone and it captures the heated conversation. He tells Bland to put down her phone, she refuses and replies “You feel good about yourself now. Why am I being arrested?”
Bland swears numerous times as he tells her to stop moving, handcuffs her and arrests her. As the two argue, a witness begins recording cell phone video around this time and the officer is heard talking to that person.
“You need to leave. You need to leave. You need to leave,” the officer says to the witness.
Bland also notices the person recording her arrest.
“Thank you for recording! Thank you. For a traffic signal. Slammed me in to the ground and everything,” Bland said.
Watch the full video (Warning: Explicit Language):
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf8GR3OO9mU]