Experts Call Trooper's Actions in Bland Stop Legal But Unwise

The actions of the Texas trooper seen in a dashcam video ordering Sandra Bland out of her car during a routine traffic stop last week appear to be legal — but the officer could have deescalated the situation, legal experts told NBC News Wednesday.

"He was permitted to use reasonable force to get her out of the car," professor of law at the UC Davis School of Law and a former prosecutor Gabriel Chin said, but added that the situation could have been handled differently.

Eugene O'Donnell, a professor of law and police studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, said that even if Bland was disrespectful, police officers are trained to not take abuse personally. In the video, Encinia appears to lose his temper.

Bland, 28, who was arrested after the July 10, would be found dead of an apparent suicide in her cell at the Waller County Jail three days later. 

Contact Us