(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) NOW, LOOK, THIS IS GOING TO BE
TOUGH, BUT WE REALLY DO WANT TO FOCUS ON TEXAS -- SPECIFICALLY
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE SANDRA BLAND INCIDENT.
IT'S GOTTEN SO MANY PEOPLE TALKING BECAUSE SO MUCH OF IT
REALLY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
A WOMAN WAS PULLED OVER FOR A TRAFFIC STOP, AND A FEW DAYS
APPARENTLY COMMITS SUICIDE IN A JAIL CELL.
THERE'S STILL A LOT TO UNPACK IN THIS STORY.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT.
LET'S JUST LOOK AT THE DASHCAM VIDEO THAT WAS RELEASED.
>> YOU OKAY?
I'M WAITING ON YOU.
THIS IS YOUR JOB.
WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO?
>> I DON'T KNOW.
YOU SEEM VERY IRRITATED.
>> I AM.
I REALLY AM, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THIS IS CRAP FOR WHAT I'M
GETTING A TICKET FOR.
I WAS GETTING OUT OF YOUR WAY.
YOU WERE SPEEDING AND TAILING ME.
SO I MOVE OVER.
AND YOU STOP ME.
SO, YEAH, I AM IRRITATED, BUT THAT DOESN'T STOP YOU FROM
GIVING ME A TICKET SO -- >> ARE YOU DONE?
Larry: OKAY.
THIS IS THE FIRST ESCALATION.
YOU ASKED HER THE QUESTION.
SHE ANSWERED IT, AND THEN YOU GOT A LITTLE SNIPPY.
"ARE YOU DONE?" ISN'T HOW YOU FINISH SOMETHING.
"ARE YOU DONE?" IS HOW YOU START SOMETHING.
(LAUGHTER) RIGHT?
(LAUGHTER) (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
JUST SAYIN'.
THAT'S ALL I'M SAYIN'.
OKAY?
AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT HE'S STARTING RIGHT NOW IS
AN ESCALATION.
>> YOU ASKED ME WHAT'S WRONG AND I TOLD.
>> OKAY.
SO NOW I'M DONE, YEAH.
OKAY.
YOU MIND PUTTING OUT YOUR CIGARETTE, PLEASE.
(LAUGHTER) >> Larry: OKAY.
SHE SAID SHE WAS DONE.
AND YOU KEPT ON GOING.
"YOU MIND PUTTING OUT YOUR CIGARETTE, PLEASE?" IS THE
DEFINITION OF NOT BEING INTERESTED IN DONE.
YOU'RE FISHING FOR UNDONENESS.
ALL RIGHT?
NOW, LOOK, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S THE BEST IDEA TO BE SMOKING A
BUTT WHEN A COP PULLS YOU OVER.
BUT YOU'RE ALLOWED TO.
ALL RIGHT?
AND IT DEFINITELY SHOULDN'T RESULT IN THIS:
>> I'M IN MY CAR.
WHY DO I HAVE TO PUT OUT MY CIGARETTE?
>> YOU CAN STEP ON OUT NOW.
I DON'T HAVE TO STEP OUT OF MY CAR.
>> STEP OUT OF THE CAR.
STEP OUT OF THE CAR.
>> NO, YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT --
>> STEP OUT OF THE CAR.
YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THAT.
>> I DO HAVE THE RIGHT.
NOW STEP OUT OR I WILL REMOVE YOU.
>> I REFUSE TO TALK TO YOU OTHER THAN TO IDENTIFY MYSELF --
>> GET OUT OR I WILL REMOVE YOU.
I AM GETTING REMOVED FOR A FAILURE TO SIGNAL?
>> STEP OUT OR I WILL REMOVE YOU.
I'M GIVING YOU A LAWFUL ORDER.
GET OUT OF THE CAR NOW, OR I'M GOING TO REMOVE YOU.
>> AND I'M CALLING MY -- I'M GOING TO YANK YOU OUT OF
HERE.
>> OKAY.
YOU'RE GOING TO YANK ME OUT OF MY CAR?
>> GET OUT.
Larry: OKAY.
ALL RIGHT.
LET'S DO THIS.
>> WE'RE GOING TO.
DON'T TOUCH ME.
GET OUT OF THE CAR!
DON'T TOUCH ME.
I'M NOT UNDER ARREST.
YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO -- >> YOU ARE UNDER ARREST.
I'M UNDER ARREST FOR WHAT?
25-47 F.M. 298, SEND ME A UNIT.
GET OUT OF THE CAR!
GET OUT OF THE CAR NOW!
>> WHY AM I BEING APPREHENDED?
YOU'RE TRYING TO GIVE ME A TICKET FOR FAILURE --
>> I SAID GET OUT OF THE CAR.
WHY AM I BEING APPREHENDED?
YOU OPEN MY CAR DOOR -- >> I'M GOING TO DRAG YOU OUT OF
HERE.
>> YOU'RE GOING TO DRAG ME OUT OF MY OWN CAR?
>> GET OUT OF THE CAR!
I WILL LIGHT YOU UP!
GET OUT!
>> WOW.
NOW!
WOW!
GET OUT OF THE CAR!
Larry: OKAY.
HERE'S WHAT I SAW.
I SAW A WOMAN WHO WAS VERY IRRITATED, PROBABLY HAVING A BAD
DAY -- MOST LIKELY BECAUSE SHE WAS PULLED OVER -- SMOKING A
CIGARETTE TO CALM DOWN, COMPLIED WITH EVERYTHING THE OFFICER
ASKED FOR.
THEN IT GOT CONFUSING BECAUSE HE TOLD HER TO PUT OUT HER
CIGARETTE BUT THEN OFFERED TO LIGHT HER UP BY POINTING A TASER
AT HER HEAD.
TO ME AND MOST REASONABLE PEOPLE, IT'S VERY CLEAR THIS
OFFICER WAS WRONG.
>> IF YOU ARE BEING STOPPED BY A POLICE OFFICER, WHETHER THAT
POLICE OFFICER IS RIGHT OR WRONG, DON'T YOU DO WHAT HE SAYS
UNTIL AFTERWARDS.
THEN YOU CAN SUE HIM.
THEN YOU'RE STILL ALIVE.
>> Larry: OKAY, FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU'RE YELLING
AT.
[ AUDIENCE BOOs ] SECONDLY, SHOULD ONE BE ON ONE'S
BEST BEHAVIOR WHEN THE COP PULLS ONE OVER?
IDEALLY, YES.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE COP IS A PROFESSIONAL.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) RIGHT?
SHOULD HE NOT HAVE BEEN ON SUCH A POWER TRIP?!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) NOW I'M YELLING, DON LEMON.
(LAUGHTER) LET ME CALM DOWN FOR A SECOND.
IT'S EASY TO SAY, BLACK PEOPLE, WHY AREN'T YOU ACTING LIKE THE
DOWAGER COUNTESS WHEN A COP PULLS YOU OVER?
(LAUGHTER) "OH, HELLO, OFFICER.
I'M SO PLEASED YOU'VE UNEXPECTEDLY DROPPED IN ON ME!
AH!
(LAUGHTER) WOULD YOU LIKE SOME TEA?
I BREW IT IN MY GLOVE COMPARTMENT."
(LAUGHTER) NEXT TO MY STASH OF WEED THAT I
HAVE.
(LAUGHTER) YES, THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, THE FACT THAT WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE
BLACK PEOPLE HAVE TO STRATEGIZE SO THEY'RE NOT BRUTALIZED BY
POLICE IS INSANE.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) OKAY.
ALL RIGHT.
THAT'S DON LEMON.
WHAT DOES FOX HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS?
(LAUGHTER) I'M NOT SURE IF I CAN WATCH.
>> THERE WAS NO REASON WHATSOEVER TO ARREST HER.
SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO HIM FOR THAT REASON.
SHE HAD TO GIVE HIM HER DRIVER'S LICENSE AND HER INFORMATION AND
THAT WAS IT.
>> WHY IS SHE IN JAIL FOR THREE DAYS?
>> ON $5,000 BAIL!
THERE NEEDS TO BE AN INTENSE INVESTIGATION.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) (LAUGHTER)
>> Larry: THIS IS HOW YOU KNOW HOW [ BLEEP ] CRAZY A SITUATION
IS.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) RIGHT?
WHEN I TOTALLY AGREE WITH WHITE PEOPLE WHO ARE TALKING ABOUT
RACE ON FOX.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) RIGHT?
OH!
THAT'S HOW CRAZY IT IS.
ANYONE ELSE WHO I ALWAYS VEHEMENTLY DISAGREE WITH ALSO
GETTING THIS RIGHT?
ANYONE?
>> I THOUGHT IT WAS TERRIBLE.
(LAUGHTER) >> Larry: YOU'VE GOT TO BE
[ BLEEP ] ME!
(LAUGHTER) >> I THOUGHT IT WAS TERRIBLE.
I THOUGHT HE WAS SO AGGRESSIVE.
IT WAS A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, AND, YOU KNOW,
WHO GETS OUT OF A CAR FOR A TRAFFIC SIGNAL?
I'M A HUGE FAN OF THE POLICE, BUT THIS GUY WAS OVERLY
AGGRESSIVE.
TERRIBLY AGGRESSIVE.
>> Larry: EVEN TRUMP AGREES?!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) RIGHT?
OH.
OKAY.
WE HAVE LOST CABIN PRESSURE.
(LAUGHTER) PUT YOUR MASK ON FIRST.
(LAUGHTER) ALL RIGHT.
BUT IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, THERE'S A LOT OF SPECULATION IN THE
MEDIA AND ONLINE RIGHT NOW ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED TO SANDRA
BLAND.
SOMETIMES THE MOST RATIONAL THING TO SAY IS "I DON'T KNOW."
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO SANDRA, AND TO ENGAGE IN A
GUESSING GAME ABOUT HOW SHE PASSED THIS OR THAT, IT CAN BE
RECKLESS.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE RACIAL CLIMATE IS SUPERCHARGED RIGHT
NOW.
WE JOKED ABOUT IT EARLIER, BUT THE BLACK COMMUNITY IS ON EDGE.
AND IT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME TO SEE A BLACK WOMAN GET IRRITATED
WITH A POLICE OFFICER.
JUST AS IT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME TO SEE A POLICE OFFICER NEGLECT
TO DE-ESCALATE A TENSE SITUATION.
(APPLAUSE) I MEAN, TO ME --
IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE THEY WERE TWO PLAYERS IN A GREEK TRAGEDY
MARCHING TOWARD AN INEVITABLE CONCLUSION.
SANDRA BRAND IS ONE VICTIM.
BUT HER STORY SPEAKS TO A LARGER ISSUE.
AN ISSUE WE SHOULD BE TRYING TO SOLVE BEFORE IT BECOMES A
PROBLEM AGAIN.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE).