Traffic Stop

2017 "A Routine Encounter Takes A Bad Turn"
5.5| 0h31m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 14 November 2017 Released
Producted By: Q-Ball Productions
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/traffic-stop
Info

Breaion King, a 26 year-old African-American school teacher from Austin, Texas - is pulled over for a routine traffic stop that escalates into a violent arrest. Dashcam clips intercut with verite scenes tell a story of racism in law enforcement through the eyes of one of its victims.

Genre

Documentary

Watch Online

Traffic Stop (2017) is now streaming with subscription on Max

Cast

Director

David Heilbroner, Kate Davis

Production Companies

Q-Ball Productions

Traffic Stop Videos and Images
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Traffic Stop Audience Reviews

TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film
Matcollis This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.
Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.
Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
siys I stopped watching this film after 2:30, because it was already evident Breaion King got what she deserved.I am sick to death of people using race as an excuse for bad behavior and blaming the police as racist.When stopped by the police, no matter for what or why, you do not argue - that's what court is for - cooperate, accept your ticket and if you believe you were wrongly ticketed, fight it in court.Anyone who argues with the police or resists the police deserves what they get.
trudesoto ** FIRST- It should be noted that the officer involved was found to have claimed "RESISTED ARREST!" against citizens, more than any other officer in that locality. He was later fired for AGAIN making false claims in another one of his arrests that got physical. Sadly, those reviewing this documentary SHORT watched and reviewed AFTER already deciding what side they were on.THE DOCUMENTARY- This is a 30 minute doc! A short.is not an investigation of everything. This case has been investigated and the officer was fired for MULTIPLE INCIDENTS besides King's. This was a 30 minute "Story in the life of ......" this woman, which is why there are more shots of her raking leaves in her yard and talking than video footage of the incident.. Ms. KING and all the police cam video have been seen and analyzed to DEATH. This film short was about addressing the PERSON not the crime! If you don't care about Ms. KING or you hate her (as a"black woman with crocodile tears") then , sure -you will think this 30 minutes is a waste. **But , AGAIN, it's a short about a PERSON who was at the center of a police brutality incident - not a 30 minute doc on POLICE BRUTALITY. **I rate this doc high as a case study of an INDIVIDUAL involved in a high profile case. The doc address Ms. Kings own underlying issues with race and color and being judged by people. She has SENSITIVITIES and "issues " that a viewer could argue made her question and challenge this officer when he stopped her. If the makers of this doc had been trying to protect Ms. King, they wouldn't have purposely added that she has everything from race insecurities to "daddy issues" (her father was verbally abusive and demeaning). The documentary also shows footage of King -after being grabbed and body slammed- asking why she was arrested, where her car would go, if there are cameras to show what the officer did.....all while she rocks forward and appears wound up and irratic. This also, could have been removed from the doc if the makers were trying to create a 100% FLATTERING piece -it wasn't.. The film makers wanted the viewer to decide. To ask- "if she's so hurt , why isn't she crying more? Why isn't she asking for a doctor? Why is she lobbing 100 questions at ANOTHER cop- when she just got beaten for doing that in the first place?!" ** This doc-short purposely leaves the door open for the viewer to judge the PERSONALITY of Ms. King in the video versus her in her life AS SHE DESCRIBES HERSELF. The police video is there, of course. It shows that Ms.King was NOT RESISTING ARREST or trying to get out of a traffic ticket. She was just questioning nearly EVERYTHING the officer said (while also cooperating with certain things like showing her ID ). It was as if she resented being told what to do. Not nice. But also not resisting arrest or "reprehensible behavior "- as one reviewer here claimed. Ms. King is heard asking question after question- then challenged the officer on why she had to put her feet back into her car. For this , she was viciously grabbed and body slammed. Later, the officer lies to an arriving supervisor and is heard saying the Ms. King took a "haymaker" swing punch at him and he HAD TO TAKE HER DOWN.But the video shows the officer yanked her out of her seat belt and out of the car to assault her.....for being shrill and irritating. There is also footage of another cop telling Ms.King that her situation occurred because police are afraid of blacks due to THEIR violent behavior. The irony of a 112lbs black woman being BEATEN, cuffed, and arrested by police for being irritating and mouthy , THEN being told that it happened because her RACE is violent- is part of what makes this 30 minute film thought provoking. **Sadly, after reading the reviews here- there still seems to be a lack of understanding of the problem and how serious it is for cops to BRUTALIZE certain people for being mouthy (while certain race higher income brackets routinely snark at cops for inconveniencing them ("I pay YOUR salary!"). Police brutality is NOT just about black males being beaten or killed. And it's dangerous , in light of the criminal histories and presence of guns, knives, or drugs in cases of black MALEE being beaten by police - to make police misconduct about BLACK MALES as THE victims. As, a cop says to Ms.King while she is cuffed..."Blacks are more violent.". This fact is centered around black MALE behavior. Letting black males OWN police brutality is a great way to aid COPS in dismissing claims that THEY are the bruts.Ultimately, this doc wanted to present this PERSON. It did so in the arty, poetic way that documentary SHORTS often do- not just this one! Short films don't have time for the hardcore , investigational stuff. EXAMPLE : A documentary on Child prostitutes will cover the men involved, follow the money, investigate parents, poverty , tourists, drugs. A documentary SHORT may be 15 minutes out of 30 minutes showing child prostitutes playing with toys or crying. This is a DOCUMENTARY SHORT!!! And a good one.
stevengarman While the producers of Traffic Stop tried to use this incident to show the police as evil and the arrested black woman as unjustly mistreated, watching the actual dash cam video from the police cruiser, one can clearly see the woman refusing to follow instructions and then resisting arrest for no good reason. She wasn't mistreated. All she had to do was follow the lawful instructions of the police officer and she would have been sited for a traffic violation and then on her way. What happened to her was her own doing and no documentary filler of her teaching school or going to church will change that. However, it is also apparent that the officer quickly lost patience with the woman who was refusing to cooperate.It was interesting that her probing dialog with the transportation officer taking her to jail seemed designed to gather material for the documentary. Her actions from start to finish weren't normal and after the arrest almost seemed calculated. Was this planned in advance or just a spur of the moment decision to get something on the police. Whatever the reason, the documentary comes off as one-sided and transparent. Not worthy of your time. How did it ever get nominated for an Oscar? Oh, right. It's Hollywood were no anti-social behavior goes unrewarded.
tylerjnewman It was clear that the person was evading the cop and not cooperating. The cop acted unprofessionally after his patience wore thin.