September 15: An attorney for Bland’s family tells Houston television station KTRK that the wrongful death lawsuit has been settled for $1.9 million.
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Bland’s mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, said the most important part of the tentative settlement is the changes that Waller County would make to its jailhouse procedures.
Sandra Bland, who was found dead at the Waller County Jail on July 13.
The family of Sandra Bland, whose death a year ago while in custody at a Texas jail was ruled a suicide, has settled their wrongful death action with law enforcement there for $1.9 million.
The 28-year-old woman had been pulled over by Texas State Trooper Brian Encinia.
Video from dashboard-mounted camera in the police auto driven by Texas Trooper Brian Encinia, who is white, indicated Bland was ordered to put out a cigarette, which she did not do. During the traffic stop, Encinia said the Bland failed to comply with an order to put out a cigarette and subsequently refused to step out of the auto.
Bland’s death was ruled a suicide but her family has cast doubt on that conclusion.
April 12: Panel convened after Bland’s death issues report saying the small-town jail where Bland died needs more expertise among its staff to identify mental health issues, along with body cameras and anger-management training for jailers.
Waller County attorney Larry Simmons confirmed Thursday that a potential settlement had been reached but said it was not final. He forcibly arrested the Chicago native after she refused to put out her cigarette.
Of the $1.9 million agreed to in the settlement, Waller County will be responsible for the bulk of it, $1.8 million, Lambert told WLS. He was later indicted on a perjury charge and fired by the Department of Public Safety. On the video of the traffic stop, Bland can be heard protesting her arrest, repeatedly using expletives and calling the officer names.
The Dallas News wrote that Waller County jail was held responsible because jail records showed that during booking, Bland admitted that she had tried to commit suicide previously, and by law, she was supposed to be checked every thirty minutes without fail. Any legislation that passes will have to be named in honor of Sandra Bland. She was visiting Texas from her home in IL to apply for a job at Prairie View A&M University, from which she graduated in 2009.
Encinia has been indicted on a misdemeanor charge of lying in the arrest report he had written of the incident.
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“Bland began swinging her elbows at me and then kicked my right leg in the shin”, Encinia said in the statement.
