Sandra Bland was a 28-year-old black woman who was found hanged in a jail cell in Waller County, Texas, on July 13, 2015. Her death was classified as a suicide by the county coroner and was followed by protests against her arrest disputing the cause of death and alleging racial violence against her.[1]
Bland had been pulled over for a minor traffic violation on July 10 by state trooper Brian Encinia. He arrested her following an escalating conflict during which he alleged that she had assaulted him and which was recorded by his dashcam and by a bystander’s cellphone. After authorities reviewed the dashcam footage, Encinia was placed on administrative duty for failing to follow proper traffic stop procedures.[2]
On July 16, Texas authorities and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Houston Division announced that they had begun a joint investigation into Bland’s death.[2] A motion-activated camera outside her cell recorded no movement in the hallway for 90 minutes before jailers found her dead. An autopsy conducted by the Harris County medical examiner ruled Bland’s death a suicide and said it found no evidence of a violent struggle. The results from a second independent autopsy requested by her family have not been released.[3]
In December 2015, a grand jury declined to issue an indictment in connection to Bland’s death. A wrongful death lawsuit is pending. In January 2016, the grand jury indicted Encinia for perjury. The Texas Department of Public Safety dismissed Encinia as a result of his indictment.
