'Contempt of cop' and the arrest of Sandra Bland

In NPR's reporting about the dash-cam video of Sandra Bland's arrest that was released by Texas police, Yale Law School professor Tracey Meares raised the idea that the video showed an example of "contempt of cop."

Bland is the woman who was pulled over in Texas for failing to signal a lane change, was arrested during the traffic stop and later found dead in her jail cell.

Meares said the officer's strong reactions to Bland's question about her traffic stop were his attempt to assert authority in the face of disrespect. But, Meares said, it's not justified:

"Given that he is a police officer with the power to take her life that it's incumbent on him to make the first move and maybe tolerate a little bit more disrespect."

We discuss the "contempt of cop" phenomenon and why it so often leads to physical altercations, like several that have made national headlines in recent months.