Sandra Bland was blatantly assaulted during a routine traffic stop in Prairie View, Texas on July 10, 2015 and her minor violation escalated into a confrontation with a white male trooper.
Bland was arrested and police dashboard camera footage shows the traffic stop escalating from a warning for failure to signal a lane change to Bland being placed in handcuffs and being forcibly shoved to the ground while detained.
The 28 year-old woman was subsequently found dead in her jail cell, three days later, hanged with a plastic rubbish bag around her neck. While authorities have ruled her death a suicide, several conspiracy theories have emerged concerning Bland’s death.
Details about this latest outrageous case of extreme police brutality + watch the extended dash cam footage below…
Sandra Bland posed for the mugshot above after being arrested for during a minor traffic violation in Prairie View, Texas, on July 10.
Activists claim her death is the latest example of racial bias and excessive force by US law enforcement.
Police dashboard camera footage shows the incident escalating from a warning for failure to signal a lane change to her being placed in handcuffs and a physical altercation with the white trooper.
When the trooper, identified as Brian Encinia, asked Bland to put our her cigarette, she refused and the officer asked her to get out of the car.
In the rest of the video, Encinia pulled out his Taser, Bland got out of the car, and then they are out of view and Bland can be heard protesting her arrest.
A second video taken by a spectator, shows Bland face down on the ground as the irate trooper attempts to stop the spectator from filming.
VIDEO: Sandra Bland Arrest (Spectator Footage)
Officer Encinia as been put on desk duty for allegedly violating protocol in the arrest.
Jailhouse video released on Monday showed a space of about 90 minutes between the last physical check of Bland in her cell, and when she was discovered dead at about 9am.
Only one mugshot, showing Bland facing forwards, was initially released by Waller County Jail.
As Bland’s case gained traction on social media, many questioned abnormalities in her mugshot, even suggesting that she may already have been dead when the picture was taken. Some feel the shadow on the surface behind Bland’s head and the positioning of her shoulders showed she may have been lying on the floor, rather than sitting up straight.
When it was questioned why a second, side-on shot was not taken, as is usually the case, police released another shot but it appears to be too dark to be decipherable.
CNN reports that a post mortem showed her death was consistent with suicide but officials have said they are handling the investigation like a murder probe.
Whatever the case, Sandra Bland’s case should spark outrage regardless of color, age or sex.? The video itself speaks volumes and while there are many unanswered questions, one things for sure… Sandra Bland would most likely be alive if her rights had not been violated by that officer.