New Sandy Bland Dash Cam Footage Released.

URA Observer's Facebook post from July 23, 2015

Here are Greg Krasovsky's comments on Sandra Bland's arrest and death:

The Young Turks - New Sandy Bland Dash Cam Footage Released

As a former City of Philadelphia Police Officer (1989-1992) I believe that State Trooper Brian Encinia was wrong, violated Ms. Bland's civil rights, assaulted her, falsely arrested her, perjured himself in the arrest documents and, if she really killed herself, drove her to suicide through his unlawful conduct.

When you have an uncooperative motorist or suspect that doesn't present an immediate danger to you, then back off, call and wait for a supervisor to arrive.

As a police officer you're hired to enforce laws -- municipal, state or federal -- not YOUR own laws on how people that you stop are supposed to comply with your every demand!

This State Trooper should be fired and prosecuted -- both as fair punishment for his misconduct and a deterrent to other police officers in and outside of the state of Texas.

As an attorney, I'm starting to come to the grim conclusion that we're not going to stop

- police brutality,
- excessive use of force,
- unlawful detentions,
- searches & seizures,
- arrests,
- false testimony

with just

- reprimands
- desk duty
- suspensions with/without pay
- reassignment
- demotions
- termination or even
- loss of pension benefits.

Given the death, injury, damage and loss of civil rights that police misconduct (under the color of law) inflicts upon its victims, criminal prosecution is warranted both as just punishment and an effective deterrent.

We need to consider and petition state & federal legislators and prosecutors to enact and enforce criminal statutes (both misdemeanors and felonies!) for

- unlawful detention
- false imprisonment
- unlawful arrest
- violation of civil rights
- unlawful search and seizure
- simple and aggravated assault (excessive use of force by limb, police batons, Tasers, MACE/pepper spray and firearms)
- perjury in arrest documents, warrant applications and court testimony
- destruction / alteration of evidence (including audio & video recordings of police encounters)

Yes, many states and the U.S. federal government already have statutes on the books covering the above misconduct, but even those are rarely applied and enforced against police, especially in the absence of independent special prosecutors, as local prosecutors have a natural close relationship with their local police.

So we need to get these statutes enacted and enforced by independent prosecutors -- otherwise many more people are going to have their rights violated, be injured, killed or driven to suicide like Ms. Bland.

BTW, driving an individual to suicide through unlawful conduct or harassment is a criminal offense in Russia and it is enforced, albeit rarely against police.

If the U.S. wants to maintain its role as the self proclaimed cradle of democracy and the defender of freedom worldwide (don't laugh, please!), then we need to should the world that we will not tolerate the type of police misconduct that doesn't happen in other countries during a routine police traffic stop.

What do you think?