The black woman died by what authorities say was suicide in her Waller County jail cell on July 13.
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The preliminary autopsy found that Bland used a garage bag to asphyxiate herself.
Bland, who was in the process of moving to Texas from the Chicago area, is booked into the Waller County jail.
The family is furthering their intent with a desire for a fresh pair of eyes to look into the case via the involvement of the Department of Justice. “At the same time, this family is aware of the possibility”.
Many have questioned the sequence of events that led to the arrest.
She should have never been arrested in the first place, but after she was, what could have been done?
“I am still confident in the fact that she knew enough about Jesus that she would not take herself out”, Reed-Veal said.
It names the Texas Department of Public Safety, Waller County, the sheriff’s office, two jailers, and the trooper Brian Encinia.
“What happened to my daughter?” A confrontation ensued as Encinia ordered Bland to put out her cigarette, and widely viewed dashboard footage shows Encinia forcefully removing the woman from her vehicle while moments later, off-screen, Bland can be heard condemning the cop for slamming her to the ground and hitting her head, saying she suffers from seizures.
“As an African American mother, I am appalled at the stealing of our children and our future leaders and this is totally unacceptable to me”, said Wilkins. Bland eventually was arrested for allegedly assaulting the trooper.
Bland’s death came after almost a year of heightened national scrutiny of police and their dealings with black suspects, especially those who have been killed by officers or die in police custody. “Who do you know that hasn’t had something go on in their life, where they literally rolled over and said, “I’m not getting up today”?” While we mourn the loss of countless victims of police violence and injustice, we must be loud and engaged advocates for the sort of change that will save lives and rebuild that much-needed trust between law enforcement and all communities entrusted to their care and protection.
“The county expresses its sympathy to Sandra Bland’s family”, Simmons said in an emailed statement. Texas officials ruled her death a suicide, but Bland’s family has disputed that conclusion.
“Cash bail keeps individuals who need help behind bars and unable to access the treatment they deserve” said Cherise Fanno Burdeen, the group’s executive director.
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Summer Blackwell, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing a policy not to discuss pending litigation. “This family is frustrated – they’re frustrated because we don’t feel like that has happened”.
