Sandra Bland
Waller County, TX — Police say she committed suicide, but 28-year old Sandra Bland’s family say she was murdered by the police while in their custody.
Well, on July 10th, Bland was pulled over by a Texas trooper after a traffic stop for switching lanes without signaling. The encounter reportedly began as a routine stop, but things escalated after Bland was ordered to put out her cigarette. After she refused, she was ordered to get out of the car.
As seen on the trooper’s dashcam, the trooper opened her car door and attempted to physically remove Bland from the vehicle.
“I’m going to yank you out of here,” he said as the two struggled in the car. “I’m going to drag you out of here.”
“Don’t touch me, I’m not under arrest,” Bland said.
“I will light you up!” the trooper said, referring to the taser he had in his hand.
Bland was then pulled out of the vehicle, taken to the ground and arrested.
During the incident, Bland repeatedly asked why she was being arrested. The rest of what happened occurs outside the view of the camera, but the audio captured what appeared to be a struggle.
Bland was later charged with assault on a public servant, and then booked in the Waller County Jail.
Three days later…
Three days later, Bland while found dead in her cell from what police say is an apparent “self-inflicted asphyxiation”.
Now police are also saying that Bland completed paperwork when she was arrested, and indicated that she tried to commit suicide last year. She reportedly checked “yes” to questions about whether or not she had attempted suicide in the past. The reason listed on both was “lost baby” and the method was “pills.”
Another form she completed said that she had been “very depressed” in the past, and felt that way on the day she was booked, and the other answers negatively to those questions.
Police also say an initial autopsy shows that Bland tested positive for marijuana in her blood.
Her family cries ‘foul’
In response to the depression claims, her family is in denial. Cannon Lambert, the attorney representing the family, commented, “We take issue with the notion that she was suffering from depression. He said that Bland’s family have no evidence that she ever attempted suicide or had been treated for depression.
They are pushing for a full investigation and claim that she was murdered while in police custody.
Watch the dashcam video below: