Sandra Bland Cigarette Case: How To Survive A Police Officer When Pulled Over, Plus Elisabeth Hasselbeck Is Wrong

Following the Sandra Bland cigarette death case and the other #blacklivesmatter cases should make most of us realize that there are only two kinds of cops: those that protect and serve, and those that want to be served. On any given day, you have a 50-50 chance of getting the wrong one. So, it’s important for you to know how to survive a cop after getting pulled over.

It’s really very simple: do exactly as you’re told and don’t talk back. And most importantly, don’t pull away from an officer. That’s it. End of story. People are dying left and right after police encounters. Do you want to live to see another day? Then, following this very simple advice is going to be key.

One exception to this might be to continue driving at a reasonable speed until you arrive at a well-lit but populated location, just in case a police officer pulls you over on a dark isolated road. In that case, when the officer asks you why you didn’t pull over, a polite response indicating that you were afraid to stop on such a lonely dark road will help him to understand. After all, there are countless numbers of cases involving bad cops who have preyed on young women, pulled them over on dark roads, and then killed them for no reason at all. But these cases are extreme.

You have a much higher chance of becoming involved in a Sandra Bland or Eric Garner type of situation than you would in the situation listed above. Now, whether you will survive that police encounter when you are pulled over will most likely depend on you and will determine whether you are going to have a good day or a bad day.

What happened to Sandra Bland was extremely sad and downright scary. This could have been someone in anyone’s family. It could have been your “mouthy” teenager. Anyone who looks at that video tape can see clearly that Brian Encinia wanted a fight that day. That’s why he asked if she was irritated, and that’s why he told her to put out the cigarette. He was letting her know that he didn’t like her response, and that he was in control. (And no. He didn’t think it was a weapon, as Fox News’ Elisabeth Hasselbeck suggested.)

In a couple of words, he was baiting her. When you are stopped by a police officer and you see that he is baiting you into a longer conversation, it’s best to be nice, comply, and get out of the situation as fast as you can.

If you are being placed under arrest, you have an even greater chance of dying during the encounter or inside the jail. It is important not to pull away from an officer that has already decided to cuff you. If you do, you have now resisted arrest.

At the very basic level, this is something that everyone should be taught. Understand this. You have zero chance of going up against a police officer, good or bad. If an officer is not doing the right thing, who’s “gonna check ’em, boo?”

Not you.

When it is all said and done, you are going to do exactly what the officer has told you to do. Remember, you can always report the officer’s behavior later — once you have escaped the possibility of danger. The goal is to live to see another day.

Here is something else to consider. Police officers are one of the only few people who have been granted the right to take a life. Let’s put it into perspective. Most law enforcement officials want to protect and serve. Most cops go into the job wanting to do the right thing, and they do the right thing on a continuous basis.

But, there are a few police officers who have God complexes — those who want to show that they have the power. Unfortunately, this is the type of cop Sandra Bland got on that fateful day when she encountered Brian Encinia, which ended with her losing her life over the right to have a cigarette.

Most will agree that Brian Encinia should not be allowed to be a police officer. But, the reality is that he will most likely be back out on the streets — in a neighborhood near you.

[Photo Credit: Facebook]