Dear MSM,stop calling Sandra Blands arrest a "routine traffic stop".

[sufrommich]

There was nothing routine about it,she was ticketed for not using her turn signal while moving into a lane.That's not a routine ticket at all,it's done a million times a day with no repercussions from the police.Call it what it was,a trumped up excuse to pull her over,because that's what it was.

[ladjf]

1. There is something very wrong in America when while simply

simply driving down the street in your car, you find yourself planning what you will say to the police if they were to pull you over for some reason. I'm thinking such strategies has holding my hands up and saying "Officer, I'll follow your instructions immediately.
I'm a local citizen who has not knowingly committed a crime. Please to shoot me for any reason. I'm unarmed."
Then I decide that my spiel might provoke them so I decide to just hold my hands up, shut up and hope for the best.

Maybe I'm bug nuts, paranoid and senile. But, I read the news everyday and everyday terrible things are being done to citizens by police personnel. (And to their pets as well).

[ecstatic]

29. Sudden movements (including raising your unarmed hands)

probably wouldn't go over well with trigger happy cops.

But like you, I'm second guessing myself as well. I see now that the things I'd do to keep my emotions in check (respectful but cold compliance with limited eye contact) could potentially activate "Out of Control" mode with an unhinged cop.

My default reaction to an actively out of control cop is sort of like a deer in headlights, which is probably just as bad as resisting. A cop screaming at me, especially at gunpoint, would probably cause just enough confusion and anxiety to prevent me from quickly comprehending and complying with orders. Of course, that would make the cop even more angry and out of control. I think it's the mismatch between an adrenaline filled cop's exaggerated sense of urgency versus the civilian who's simply trying to process wtf is going on that often gives the appearance of resisting orders and/or arrest.

[ieoeja]

33. If you can, while cop is approaching place wallet and registration on dash. Sit with hands on wheel.

And, yes, it truly sucks that we have to plan on the assumption that the cop is going to kill us if we do the slightest thing incorrectly.

[louis-t]

43. NO,NO,NO,NO!!....Do NOT reach into your pocket or glove box for documents!!!!

Do NOT fumble around in the car while waiting for cop to approach. Sit with your hands at 10/2 on the steering wheel and wait until the cop knocks on your window. When he/she asks for license and registration, tell him/her where it is and show them where you are reaching. I've done this for many, many years and have never had a problem.

[TheBlackAdder]

46. Partly OK! Have your registration and insurance card easily accessible. Place on dash with license.

In NJ, there was an Air Force Colonel or General who was killed reaching into his jacket for his license.

A twitchy cop will be a twitchy cop. Whether going in the glove box or purse before or after the stop.

It's best to collect everything immediately, then sit with the documents on the dash and hands on the wheel.
At night, have the interior lights on.

[COLGATE4]

52. You don't want an approaching cop to see you

appear to be reaching for ANYTHING. Unless you keep your license and registration together in some place immediately available without opening, fumbling, etc, you're very well advised to wait until the cop asks for them and then tell him/her where they are and that you're going to get them from there.

[TheBlackAdder]

64. They are already expecting something. Finish your collection and minimize movement after contact.

Moving and searching for documents after the officer is present is rife for misinterpretation.

[COLGATE4]

65. That's why I said you should FIRST inform the officer

what you're planning on doing BEFORE moving, searching, etc. But the fact that, as you said "they are already expecting something" is exactly the reason you don't want them to see you reaching and fumbling around while they approach. That type of activity is going to make them very gun-shy and that's not a good thing for you.

[louis-t]

72. That's why you tell him where you are reaching, what you are doing.

You are wrong, my friend. They will "expect something" if you are fumbling around while the cop is walking toward your car.

[TheBlackAdder]

42. A Standard Police M.O. - She was going to get pulled over regardless.

.

Police often will speed up on a driver or tail them closely in order to scare them so they make a mistake.

The '70s term they used was "Mau-Mauing," taken from the book "Radical Chic & Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers."


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_Chic_%26_Mau-Mauing_the_Flak_Catchers
"mau-mauing" (in reference to the intimidation tactics employed in Kenya's anti-colonial Mau Mau Uprising)

===

The officer was either going to pull her over for failure to signal or for driving in the left lane.

Following her long enough, he would sooner or later catch her performing an infraction.

[yurbud]

50. good insight.

[nadinbrzezinski]

69. Just put your hands, clasped, on top of the wheel

and do as you are told.

Yes, I have been stopped for trumped up reasons. Well, the cop wanted a bribe... He was even open about it. (There you go with some racial profiling, I have heavy accent and had two passengers who were speaking Mexico city Spanish)

And yes, I hate to have these conversations. If they ask for anything, move slowly, and tell the officer before you start what you are doing.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

2. Not to mention he whipped his car around once he got a good look at her BEFORE ...

.... the alleged minor infraction.

Gee, I wonder what it was that made him whip his car around and crawl up her ass at a high rate of speed? Hmmmmm, what could it be....

Anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows "failure to signal lane change" is a bullshit reason to stop someone.

[sufrommich]

4. Yeah, not only whip his car around but he immediately

escalated the situation.He was determined to make a mountain out of a molehill from the get go.

[kristopher]

14. The behavior he engaged in was reprehensible and IMO criminal...

but on the point of having a reason to pull her over I can't see how it is out of line. I'm pretty sure she ran the stop sign when she made the right turn onto the highway where the stop occurred. I know that wasn't the stated reason for the stop but it didn't look like he was ticketing people, he was just issuing warnings.

But that is a distraction no matter what the reason for the stop was; the distance between the policeman's actions and the "Protect and Serve" motto is galactic. He was there to protect and serve her need to be safe and instead he took actions that resulted in her needless death. It was literally sickening to watch.

[Mira]

16. If suddenly I see a policeman who turned around ahead of me

start to tail me I might easily get out of my lane to let him pass and not signal, very easily, very probably.
Especially on a road where practically no-one else is driving at that time.

The thought that he is after me and I may be stopped would occur in such an instance.
I would be extremely nervous, but I would not fear for my life, or fear incarceration even if I mouthed off at him, which I have been known to do.
But then,
I am white. And I would fear mightily and immediately if I were not. I admire Sandra's courage to object.

Worst thing ever for me - a piece of paper flew out the back of my truck and a police car hidden in the bushes came after me.
I had 13 anti Bush stickers on my tailgate, was in a flaming "red" county in NC, was on the way to the airport, and told them that. They sat behind me for 40 minutes and did not let me go, my 85 year old mother was in my truck with me, then issued a 312 dollar citation. I had not been speeding.

I cursed them incredibly, in hindsight. I was never asked to get out of the car, though they suggested I could go find that piece of paper and clean up the highway.
I NEVER feared for my person or my life, it was inconceivable, but was spitting furious for the harassment.
I fought the ticket, with a lawyer friend helping me for free, got off for $ 25.
I did not miss my plane.

[CANDO]

80. You would mouth off to a cop?

Not a very smart thing to do, IMO. The place to settle disagreement with said cop is at your magisterial court date with a competent lawyer in your employ. Shit like this is all a revenue game for the locals. And the reason they need revenue is because the conservatives have starved the local gov'ts by bowing to the holy grail of tax cuts.

[TheBlackAdder]

48. Police speed up on cars for the sole purpose of intimidating the driver into making a mistake. nt

[brush]

3. You are so right. It was not routine. That cop was heading the other way . . .

saw that she was black and made a u-turn and followed her.

She was profiled —DWB.

[truebrit71]

6. Yup.

Sickening.

[mythology]

5. By that logic there are no routine stops

People speed every day and don't get pulled over, people run red lights etc.

Almost every driver at some point breaks the official traffic laws because there generally we don't get a ticket for doing so. But I'm guessing that telling the cop or traffic court judge that you speed all the time and don't get a ticket will be considered a valid defense.

The cop should certainly be criticized for escalating the situation and generally being an ass.

[kcr]

7. But you'd expect to be pulled over for speeding or running a red light

not failing to signal a changed lane. I don't know anyone who's ever been pulled over for that.

[niyad]

35. I do know several people who have, in fact, gotten tickets for that precise thing.

the police here have not made national news since the infamous st. patrick's day parade several years ago, but a recent issue of our alternative paper talked about their less-than-stellar behaviour.

[kcr]

59. Yeah, I should clarify. I don't know anyone who simply got a ticket for that as a matter of course

The way people generally get tickets for speeding, red lights, etc.

[Ace Rothstein]

36. I was pulled over for that once in Suburban Chicago.

I was with a buddy who was telling me to turn left, turned my turn signal on and then he said it was the wrong turn so I got out of the turn lane without signaling the other way. There was nobody behind me but I was immediately pulled over by a cop who was off the road in a parking lot.

[treestar]

8. And if there is no traffic and it is safe

the signal isn't strictly necessary. There was no traffic in the lane she went to. I call BS too. He could have let that one go. He did say he was only giving her a warning, but he should have been more friendly. Cops should be trained in how they handle people. Obviously they don't do that at that department. No reason to escalate. And why did he have to ask her to put her cigarette out? She argued with him about that. He could have explained - said he had asthma, or it makes it hard to concentrate. Instead he immediately ordered her out of the car in a harsh voice.

[blackspade]

24. If you watch the very beginning of the 52 min video...

it shows how different he was with another driver.
This guy is a racist prick.

[ecstatic]

57. He was inappropriate with the first driver as well, IMO

That first stop could have easily gone awry because the questions he asked were NONE of his fcking business!

He starts with the "are you OK?" nonsense. Does he not get that normal people don't like getting pulled over for any reason and will therefore not be excited about the encounter? Then he asks a series of personal questions: What year are you at school? Are you here for summer school? Taking a lot of classes? Two classes?

Sorry but that's creepy and would make me feel really uncomfortable.

By asking those questions, the dynamic shifted from cop vs. citizen to strange armed man detaining an unarmed woman/ invading her personal space (while acting like he's doing her a favor). Don't stop me from reaching my destination and then try to make small talk with specific questions about my personal life because now I'm going to wonder if you stopped me to flirt or something far worse, like sizing me up for a future (sexual?) assault. So now you have all my identity information and you know my schedule? Not cool.

[Lilith Rising]

60. +1

[treestar]

74. True though that could also be friendly chat

while waiting. He did treat that person better. His tone was nicer.

He needed to ask Bond to put out the cigarette in a politer manner, and to have been more friendly to explain why, rather than escalate.

[Igel]

76. She was a sophomore.

Given what Prairie View is, she was almost certainly also AfAm.

Her accent agrees with that.

[blackspade]

77. My hearing isn't good enough to disern her ethnicity.

While different, I agree his interaction was inappropriate with her too.
Just not as scary or violent.

[Lee-Lee]

9. Umm- it was a routine stop

Traffic stops like that are what officers assigned traffic duty do day in and day out.

That trooper probably was assigned that stretch of highway for that shift and did traffic stops like that all shift.

[Kingofalldems]

45. Except his attitude changed immediately on the second stop.

[Kingofalldems]

53. It was a bs stop and you know it.

The woman immediately changed lanes when he drove up behind her. She was clearly trying to get out of his way. Who are you trying to kid?

[Horse with no Name]

10. Texas has a new law that went into effect

basically you have to be in another lane away from a cop if he is stopped or slow down at least 20 mph if you can't change lanes.
I watch other drivers (myself included) when you see these guys just sitting on the side of the road....trying to figure out if the law applies if he is just sitting or does it only apply when he has someone stopped...and most, myself included, make the lane change regardless and many don't use signals because it is kind of a sudden thing. I have never seen anyone pulled over for this....

[Demonaut]

11. it's a fucked up reason to get pulled over but we all signal when we know a cop is nearby because

it gives them a reason to pull us us over......right?

[B Calm]

12. I know if you are a truck driver it would be a routine traffic stop. I can't count how many times

I've seen cops changing lanes or making turns without using their signals, but cops are of the privilege class and are above the law.

[Whiskeytide]

13. I know a number of cops...

... some quite well, and they are decent people. I defend THEM - individually- all the time.

But this guy is an asshole. He pulled her over because she was black and had out of state tags. He wanted to see what she was up to. She may have been mildly rude (and even that seems too strong a description of how she acted), but that's certainly to be expected. There is no law that says you have to be courteous to a cop. He then escalated the situation with no justification whatsoever.

Her death is more than a little suspicious. She threatened legal action, and likely would have had success. That could be motive.

This just makes me sick.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

15. It's routine if you have out of state plates.

[bigdarryl]

17. That's why there numbers are in the toilet

[AtheistCrusader]

18. Follow a cop for 2 minutes. Guarantee you'll see a lane change without signal.

[B Calm]

19. They also think it's okay for them to travel at very high speeds in the left lane. Many

times while speeding they are playing with their laptop between the seats.

[AtheistCrusader]

27. Seriously, I don't know about that state, but here in WA there is no exemption to the speed limit

unless the officer is responding to a 'silent approach', that allows the officer to exceed the speed limit without submission lights on. That pisses me off. Motherfuckers come railing up behind, no lights, not even trolling for speeders, just trying to get to dinner or what the hell ever, no lights, expect me to move.

(Yes, keep right except to pass is also a law here, but they move through traffic at a VERY high speed differential, as if it's nothing.)

[maindawg]

20. Welcome to Texas

Is the highway patrol the same thing as the Texas Rangers?
And does the Sheriff keep the jail? So then there is a deputy who actually watches the jail I would guess. So that makes at least three people who violated this womans civil rights, and indeed assaulted her. Who actually killed her will be very difficult to learn.
Once again, very disturbing behavior by the police.

[jalan48]

21. She was profiled and harrassed. Because she didn't play, "Yes sir, no sir" it escalated.

How many other drivers has this police force harassed? Probably thousands.

[brush]

25. Yep! She knew her rights.

She didn't have to put out her cigarette in her own car.

She told him that and he didn't like it.

That ahole was just itching for a reason to arrest her but all he could come up with was she wouldn't put out her cigarette?

He knew he screwed up big time with this bogus arrest.

She ends up dead.

I don't think it's a coincidence.

[jalan48]

26. Unfortunately, knowing her rights probably got her killed. It's Amerika.

[Lee-Lee]

30. Putting out a cigarette is a lawful command when detained for a traffic stop

She didn't know her rights- she maybe thought she did based on bad info that goes around like this post.

I never let anyone I was dealing with smoke- victim or suspect- for several reasons.

It makes it harder to keep an eye on their hand movements for my safety.

A lit cigarette is a hazard of injury to the officer and citizen should the need to arrest arise, as well as a fire hazard.

A cop shouldn't have to deal with secondhand smoke in the course of the job any more than anyone else doing a job should.

For the time period when you are detained for a traffic stop not smoking is a legitimate, and lawful instruction from the officer as much as keeping your hands visible or standing in a certain spot is.

[brush]

32. Show us evidence of that in legal code.

I don't think that is written law anywhere.

You ever heard of the 4th Amendment?

The cop's authority only goes so far. He is not a dictator.

See post #28: His interaction with her should have ended when he handed her the ticket. Her smoking in her own car should have had nothing to do with it.

Plus, he profiled her as he was going the other way but saw she was black and make a U and came up with a bogus violation to stop her.

That cop is in big trouble. I don't think he survives on that job with the FBI and Rangers investigating the doctoring of the video. (of course some other racist department will probably hire him)

[Lee-Lee]

38. Here is some reading for you

http://archive.law.fsu.edu/journals/lawreview/downloads/253/dery.pdf

Yes, had he handed her the ticket the stop would have been done and he no longer could detain her- but he had not given her ticket instructions, obtained her signature or given it to here yet.

As such, she wa legally obligated to follow any reasonable commands. Not smoking is well within the realm of reasonable.

[Indydem]

40. As was the request to leave the vehicle.

She refused to follow lawful commands given by an officer during a routine traffic stop that would have resulted in no fine or penalty.

However - if the video turns out to be edited - prosecute the officer (or whoever is responsible).

But none of that has anything to do with her death. Why and how she died needs to be investigated by the highest levels of authority.

I heard the FBI was assisting the Texas Rangers - I hope that is true.

[brush]

41. Tell me where is the part about not violating the 4th Amendment . . .

Last edited Thu Jul 23, 2015, 07:48 AM - Edit history (3)

and/or escalating the situation because that cop losing his temper, pulling her from the car and ESCALATING THE STITUATION smacks of a 4th Amendment violation:

"

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects personal privacy, and every citizen's right to be free from unreasonable government intrusion into their persons, homes, businesses, and property . . ."

You have to know that was not a "good" arrest and that ahole is in big trouble.

And watch this video. You are wrong. She did not have to put out her cigarette:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141153672

Cops are not gods to be groveled to and citizens are not their children to be ordered around on their little whims. That's what's called bully.

[Kingofalldems]

47. If the cop did nothing wrong, why is he on desk duty?

[Kingofalldems]

49. Mr policeman, do you signal every time you change lanes?

[Lee-Lee]

51. I'm not a man, thank you

And yes, I do.

[samsingh]

22. kick

[blackspade]

23. Her arrest should have never happened.

The cop assaulted her a detained her under false pretenses.
Now she is dead. Assholes.

[Starry Messenger]

28. The cop was a testy unprofessional.

Texas standards for courtesy in traffic stops were violated, and he should never have harassed her in the first place.

Last night on MSNBC, two legal analysts said that he might have violated the law as well, since their interaction should have been finished when he handed her the ticket.

[Gothmog]

31. No one signals in Texas when they change lanes

It is considered a sign of weakness

[niyad]

37. the first thing I put in my alternative driving manual for texas was, "turn signals are optional

equipment in this state. using them only tells other drivers what you are doing. let them guess."

[Gothmog]

54. It is dangerous to show any weakness on the highway

It is best to project strength on Texas highways

[uponit7771]

75. +1

[X_Digger]

79. It fucking drives me crazy. I do, and I expect others to do so.

Every day some goddamned moron pulls in front of me, or cuts me off, or swoops from the lane to the left of me to the lane to the right of me.

I wish cops gave out more (legitimate) tickets for not signaling a lane change.

[Moostache]

34. I am a Missouri resident...

I hate it here in East Kansas, but that's another point entirely.

I was stopped by Highway Patrol in the St. Louis are in June for a speeding citation. I have no doubt whatsoever that I was guilty, but the flow of traffic and where I was (far left lane of a 4-lane interstate) made it very difficult to pick me out aside from the make and model of car I was driving (a convertible roadster with tinted windows that make it very difficult to determine the race of the driver).

I am Caucasian, Eastern-European heritage, 4th generation American. In other words, I'm pretty much lily-white.
Once the officer raced up to pull me over, and I merged over across 4 lanes of traffic to pull over on the side of the interstate, he took my license and registration and disappeared back to his squad car.

When he returned to the car, ticket in hand, he informed me that "I am not going arrest you today" as a formal greeting.
I was shocked, so I said "Why would you arrest me for a speeding ticket?" (It was 78 in a 60...not even the threshold of 20mph over the posted that can get you a reckless driving charge added on...)

He then said, "You have a warrant for your arrest."
Now, I was totally stunned...I don't have any warrants I thought...what the hell is this?

So I said, "A WARRANT??? For what???", truly quite dismayed at this point.

He then said, "Well, since the whole Ferguson 'thing', we don't arrest drivers for minor offenses any more."
He actually sounded disappointed, like he lost out on a chance to arrest someone - though he certainly did not seem to have any intention of that 'someone' being me.

I found that to be an extraordinary statement.
And it got me to thinking about the entire stop in a different light.

The officer was on the shoulder of a major interstate highway, during the late-morning rush hour. There were numerous other cars "speeding" at that time, including me. My car just happens to be a bit flashier than some others, and was an easy target. I don't know what this officer's thought process was when he made the decision to hop into his car, slam on the gas, whip out across 4 lanes of traffic and pull me over...maybe he really did think I was an imminent threat to public safety (amongst the dozen or so other cars doing between 75 and 80 in the left lanes)? Maybe he thought it was his public duty to make such a risky traffic stop?

But his "Ferguson thing" comment made me think there might have been other motivations. Like I said, the windows on my car are tinted (to the legal limits), but its possible that anyone looking at the car from the side would be unable to tell the race of the driver beyond making assumptions and stereotype decisions. His disappointment in informing me that he would no arrest me "this time" was palpable.

The whole thing was strange; but I noticed that he made a hyper-aggressive drive to pull me over, then became almost disappointed when he discovered I was white and that even though I had a warrant for my arrest, he was not going to do anything about that either.

Turns out that the "warrant" was for an unpaid license issue, not an actual citation or moving violation and that a clerical error in the county courthouse was what led to that not being expunged from the records.

The kicker in all of this?
I later went to the online fine collection center to find out my fine and pay the ticket. The system reported an error and said that I would need to use the automated phone line instead...

So I called the number and waited on hold for 45 minutes, then the phone system told me there was an error and that I would need to contact an operator for assistance. After another 45 minutes on hold, the operator told me they had no record of the citation number I was holding.

That ticket (to date, and now 45 days+ later) has never been turned in.

There's a lot of ground in this story to make assumptions. Right or wrong, nefarious or not. I am just having a hard time believing that if I were black, driving the same car in the same situation that the outcome would NOT (*edit) have been something far, far different.

Equal justice under the law. THAT is my over-riding principle. The law is the law for everyone or it is not a law worth regarding. Rich or poor. White or Non-white. Or any distinctions you can think of...if the law does not apply evenly and fairly for all, then justice is a myth and the law is mechanism of control.

Its harder and harder to see our laws as being just any longer when they CLEARLY have disparate application depending on the race of the people involved.

[Ms. Yertle]

39. I was stopped for speeding recently

I greeted the officer politely, conversed politely, apologized politely, accepted my ticket politely, and went on my way.

If he had told me to get out of the car and do cartwheels, I would have done it, just because I wanted to get on with things.

I don't understand why she didn't just put out the cigarette, legal request or not, just because it is easier to comply than to argue.

In the interests of full disclosure, I am a middle-aged white woman. There is privilege, of course, but there is also the idea that you learn things with time--like, pick your battles. A request to put out a cigarette isn't a big enough deal to fight over.

[COLGATE4]

55. What I used to tell my clients all the time.

Good advice.

[MH1]

58. I agree with you, BUT

(and I think you agree) that does not make the officer's actions right AT ALL.

This was a young woman. She was in a potentially stressful situation, if I understand correctly, heading to a job interview - to which she was now possibly going to be late. The cop pushed her just a little and she overreacted and smarted off, instead of shutting up and just getting through the ordeal (like most of us experienced older folks would have done); but he was wrong to push her in the first place ... and very wrong for how he behaved subsequently.

Also, the real offense was DWB ... and even if she had "behaved" "perfectly" the cop still might have been looking for more ways to mess with her. As a white person I know damn well that my expectations in this situation are far different than what a black person's expectations would - rightfully - be.

[niyad]

61. I understand what you are saying, but one problem I see with it is the inherent reinforcement

of the idea that we must always submit to authority without question.

[COLGATE4]

66. No. The idea is that the Supreme Court has made it clear

that an Officer conducting a traffic stop has the right to have you submit to his/her authority, at least in regards to the type of things we are discussing here (i.e. "exit the car", "put out the cigarette" etc.). You can question authority but when the courts have already determined that there are circumstances when you are not allowed to question it, better to go along.

[niyad]

67. wonderful reinforcement of submitting unquestioningly to authority.

[COLGATE4]

70. So far as I know, the Supreme Court is the law of the land.

You can still challenge the law but be prepared for the consequences of your action.

[niyad]

78. and it is always the peasants who face the consequences of their actions. the jackboots

and masters never seem to.

[COLGATE4]

82. Highly rhetorical but not really very relevant

to the points being discussed.

[Ms. Yertle]

73. I didn't say "always"

I'm just saying--pick your battles. So, he wanted her to put out a cigarette. Big deal.

There are much bigger/more important things to fight over.

[ecstatic]

63. Good people can snap sometimes, even when every neuron

in their brain is telling them to remain calm. It's not always as simple as you described. I've always considered myself to be in complete control of my emotions and words, but recently, most likely due to extreme fatigue, I've had what seems like out of body experiences where I'm completely unable to just shut up, smile, and let grievances slide.

[Kingofalldems]

44. The cop had to know she was changing lanes to get out of his way.

[malaise]

56. Routine for African-Americans

but they need to say that

Great post!!

[Glassunion]

62. The entire premise of this discussion is way wrong.

Routine: a sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program. / Habitual or mechanical performance of an established procedure.

What was not routine about the traffic stop?

Is it not routine for officers to profile, stop, and ticket minorities on the most insignificant of causes? Is it not routine to kill said folks on the most insignificant of violations (see: Mike Brown - Jaywalking, Eric Garner - "illegal" cigarettes, Sandra Bland - failing to signal, Samuel Dubose - no font license plate, Jonathan Ferrell - knocking on a door seeking help, Tanisha Anderson - "mental health episode", Yvette Smith - exiting a residence (after being lawfully ordered to do so by the officer), Shelly Frey - shoplifting, Rekia Boyd - standing next to another black person holding a cell phone, Shereese Francis - failing to follow a lawful order to sit down, Aiyana Stanley-Jones - sleeping on a couch, Tarika Wilson - threatening an officer by holding her 14 month old, Kathryn Johnston (92 years old) - living in the wrong house, Alberta Spruill - living in the wrong house, etc.....)?

To me it seems to be the definition of routine.

[Lurker Deluxe]

68. No, it is not

It is not routine for cops to kill black people on the most insignificant of violations.

If it were there be thousands of these types of crimes each and every day.

[Glassunion]

71. Cops kill a black person about once every 40 hours.

Sounds pretty routine to me.

[Reter]

81. In NYC, not signaling between lanes is a huge no-no

I don't know how it's looked upon in other states, but if you do it behind a cop here, you're getting pulled over.