TX - Sandra Bland, 28, found dead in jail cell, Waller County, 13 July 2015 #2

bluesneakers said:

I would perhaps add a thirst for knowledge point because he asked her where she was going and how long she's been in Texas.

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JMHO, but having out of state plates and a TX DL, that would be a valid question.

arkansasmimi said:

JMHO, but having out of state plates and a TX DL, that would be a valid question.

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Which is why he got the point.

To your earlier post - I don't know if SB received treatment for her epilepsy while in jail. Someone earlier posted about not having seen any mention either.

kimlynn said:

I just listened to the audio of BE during his call in after the incident. His reason stated to whoever he was speaking with,was he had her get out to sign and so he could explain what was going on. LOL
Very much later close to the end of the conversation he mumbled that he was in the middle of the street but that clearly wasn't true either. IMO

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Respectfully 1) we can only hear his part of the conversation. 2) the area where SB car and the patrol veh, is considered middle of street, thats why he had her to go to the sidewalk area, out of the road. Normal. 3) that very well could have been his reason for asking her to put out her cig, as he was fixing to get her to sign the warning, she wanted to know why she had to put it out as she was in her car, so he asked her to step out (stated you can step out now) she then said she didn't have to. < She failed to comply with the officers order, instead argued with him. JMHO

arkansasmimi said:

Respectfully BBM, do you have a link to where her epilepsy was not taken care of at the jail or that she did not receive care if needed? Serious question. In this pic from video, it appears a little med type cup on the table. Could have been an aspirin for all we know. I haven't seen any medical reports/notes released from the Jail to support what medical care she received or didn't receive. Thanks in advance.
View attachment 78780

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I think that little cup is creamer for her coffee, there is a pack of folders in the upper left and corner along with a sandwich, chips.
But she could have used the bed sheet and not the trash bag to end her own life.

human said:

If LE commands you to get out of your car, can you demand a call to an attorney and remain in your car?

This whole situation is absurd

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:thinking: why would you call your lawyer about an officer asking you to get out of your car?

Interesting, just a google search, and this is from an Broward Cty Public Defender office attorney:

Rights During a Police Encounter
In a police encounter these rules will help protect your civil rights and improve your chances of driving or walking away safely.
(Only exceptions are border searches and airport searches.)

2) Be Courteous & Non-Confrontational
The first thing you should say to the officer is, "Hello officer. Can you tell me why I am being stopped?" The officer may give you a hard time or say, "Why do you think I stopped you?" Tell the officer you don't know. Most importantly, do not apologize after you get stopped, because that can be considered an admission of guilt and could be used against you later in court.
Show your identification if it's requested. Be respectful and non-confrontational. Refer to the police as "Sir," "Ma'am," or "Officer." Remain calm and quiet while the officer is reviewing your documents. If the officer writes you a ticket, accept it quietly and never complain. Listen to any instruction on paying the fine or contesting the ticket, and immediately leave.
If you are pulled over in a car, the first thing you should to do is turn your car off, turn the dome light on (if it's nighttime), roll down the window, and keep your hands on the steering wheel. Don't immediately reach into your glove compartment for your license and registration. Officers want to be able to see your hands for their own safety. Wait until the officer asks to see your paperwork before retrieving your documents.

4) Determine if You Can Leave
You have the right to terminate an encounter with a police officer unless you are being detained under police custody or have been arrested. The general rule is that you don't have to answer any questions that the police ask you. This rule comes from the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects you against self-incrimination. If you cannot tell if you are allowed to leave, say to the officer, "I have to be on my way. Am I free to go?"
If the officer says "Yes," tell him to have a nice day, and leave immediately. If the officer's answer is ambiguous, or if he asks you another unrelated question, persist by asking "Am I being detained, or can I go now?" If the officer says "No," you are being detained, and you may be placed under arrest. If this is the case, reassert your rights as outlined above, and follow Rules #5 and #6.

5) Remain Silent and Ask for an Attorney

6) Do Not Try to Bargain

7) Do Not Physically Resist
If the police proceed to detain, search, or arrest you despite your wishes-do not physically resist. You may state clearly but non-confrontationally: "Officer, I am not resisting arrest and I do not consent to any searches." Or you may assert your rights by simply saying nothing until you can speak with an attorney.

more at link http://www.browarddefender.org/page3.html

KaaBoom said:

I don't know, but maybe for the same reason he didn't give her a ticket for not having proof of insurance. If I was going to take a guess at the reason, I'd guess it was because she was white.

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I keep seeing this posted that the prior traffic stop individual was white, can you please provide a link, I haven't seen that anywhere and would like to have it as a source. Thank you in advance.

Nana said:

I think that little cup is creamer for her coffee, there is a pack of folders in the upper left and corner along with a sandwich, chips.
But she could have used the bed sheet and not the trash bag to end her own life.

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I think you're right about it being the creamer! Thank you. I couldn't figure it out.

&#8216;We&#8217;re celebrating a hero&#8217;: Sandra Bland laid to rest
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/sandra-bland-be-laid-rest-scrutiny-continues

LISLE, Illinois &#8211; Sandra Bland was remembered as a sister, friend, her mother&#8217;s &#8220;baby&#8221; and, in the words of her pastor, a hero, during her funeral here on Saturday.

Bland was laid to rest at her home church of DuPage African Methodist Episcopal, as nagging questions about her death in a Texas jail cell, and the arrest that preceded it, continue. Bland was found dead in her cell in a Waller County, Texas, jail three days after she was arrested during a traffic stop in Hempstead, Texas. Authorities have ruled her death a suicide by hanging. The case is under investigation.

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Bland&#8217;s funeral drew Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Bill Foster, who came to pay their respects to the family, and to announce that they sent joint letters to Attorney General Loretta Lynch calling for a &#8220;fair and thorough federal investigation&#8221; into Bland&#8217;s death.

Durbin drew rousing applause as he pointed out that on the drive from Chicago to Lisle, his car passed many vehicles that were changing lanes without signaling, the minor offense for which Bland was pulled over in Texas.

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More at link.

Originally Posted by human View Post
If LE commands you to get out of your car, can you demand a call to an attorney and remain in your car?

This whole situation is absurd

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You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?”

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KaaBoom said:

What Are Your Miranda Rights?

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:thinking: Respectfully, orig question wasn't about the right to remain silent, it was "If LE commands you to get out of your car, can you demand a call to an attorney and remain in your car?" :facepalm:

Did she see an attorney?

Originally Posted by katydid23 View Post
Have you ever been to downtown Chicago or Baltimore or South Central LA at night? We have vicious gangs that often shoot 10, 15, 20 people in one weekend, in each city. That is what our cops have to deal with and what they endure. I am scared to death for my son and his friends. I now what they go through. How dangerous the gangs can be. And it hurts me to hear them being dissed and belittled.

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bluesneakers said:

They often shoot 10 - 20 people in one weekend? Do you have any links? I haven't heard this number before.

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Not in one weekend, but this is pretty alarming:
'I've stopped counting the killings,' frustrated homeowner says after Central City murder
By Ken Daley, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune snipJuly 23, 2015 at 1:05 PM, updated July 23, 2015 at 1:26 PM
snip>
The man died in surgery after being rushed to a local hospital, NOPD spokesman Officer Juan Barnes said, making him the city's 108th murder victim of 2015 and the 24th in the last 34 days. Police have not disclosed a suspect or motive for the murder.
http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2015/07/ive_stopped_counting_the_killi.html

KaaBoom said:

Sandra Bland had a new job, a new life in front of her in Texas, and her life was going good. Everything was getting better. Then she met Trooper Brian Enciniam and not only did he wreck her live, but within three days it was over. Why? Because she didn't use her turn signal and she didn't put out her cigarette when he told her to. The police are the worst bullies in out society. They pick on the poor, they pick on the defenseless, They beat homeless people to death, they shoot mentally ill people, they shoot black kids in the back. The list goes on and on.

You talk about these people like they are some great heros who are keeping us safe. But keeping us safe from who? Safe from people who don't use their turn signals? Safe from people who sell cigarettes without a tax license? All I can say is that these bullies deserve every bit of bad karma that they get.

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Respectfully BBM, she met the Officer, July 10, because SB broke the law.

Read this article and tell me how its the cops that are the bad guys.

The man died in surgery after being rushed to a local hospital, NOPD spokesman Officer Juan Barnes said, making him the city's 108th murder victim of 2015 and the 24th in the last 34 days. Police have not disclosed a suspect or motive for the murder.

Another neighbor who requested anonymity, a woman in her 20s, said she was caring for two young children at her sister's house when she heard Thursday's gunshots ring out. She said a brother of the wounded man pulled up immediately, brimming with anger, while awaiting the arrival of police and a New Orleans EMS ambulance.

The children played in her front yard, about 15 yards from the crime scene tape closing off the street, as homicide detectives and the ATF dog continued their search more than two hours after the shooting. Not a single evidence cone appeared to have been placed at the scene, the younger woman said.

"Whoever did it knew what they were doing," she said, "because they didn't leave nothing behind. ... It's not like they stopped to pick stuff up, neither, because you could hear the car skid off right after the shots."

The victim has not been identified by authorities but was known to some in the neighborhood by his nickname "Five." He was shot in the hand and the temple, the younger woman said. He was still sitting on the front steps of the abandoned house, slouched over, when medics arrived.

arkansasmimi said:

:thinking: Respectfully, orig question wasn't about the right to remain silent, it was "If LE commands you to get out of your car, can you demand a call to an attorney and remain in your car?" :facepalm:

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Are you not familiar with your miranda rights? :facepalm:

Truth Prevails said:

Thanks for sharing this. I have been thinking along the same lines.

I'm not totally comfortable with accepting the statements of the "woman who was in an adjoining cubicle;" and I wonder if Sandra's friends and family perhaps didn't realize how long three days in jail might seem.

My heart goes out to them, though. I don't mean to put this on them. This is so tragic.

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I don't mean to "put it on them either", due to her priors, and its been within the last yr the biggest, and still owes over $7,000 in fines. Its very possible that they did not bail her out for a reason. We do not know their family dynamics, but according to what we have seen the mother and one of four sisters was notified. Friday and after she saw the Judge on Saturday. They showed no urgency. According to the friend she was living with, he hadn't contacted her back since he spoke with her Friday night. He says he called the Jail on Monday and was told that she was no longer their. I could be wrong, but I feel it was after her family was notified and then he called the jail. She was pronounced dead at 9:06 am iirc.

My heart goes out to them also as it is tragic. Tragic she chose to end her life. Tragic that information she provided on forms the family said they knew nothing about in the beginning. JMHO

bluesneakers said:

Which is why he got the point.

To your earlier post - I don't know if SB received treatment for her epilepsy while in jail. Someone earlier posted about not having seen any mention either.

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JMHO, I don't think we will know if she unless someone releases her medical records while she was in jail. Or possibly in her tox report, if she were taking meds it should show up, but again that wouldn't prove if she rec'd in jail or not. Which from another case I follow and got court record is a civil case, his medical records were used as exhibits only way I know of them being public.

ETA, in her property inventory, no keys or purse were listed. Nor her phone, I guess since it was left on the car, it would be listed with her car? I read somewhere, forget where so jmo, that her phone was being looked at to see if anything was recorded.

I don't think we will hear much from the family attorney about anything in their autopsy unless it contradicts the states. JMHO

This is an interesting view in the opinion section of the Chicago Tribune. He speaks about his own encounter with LE.
Could BE be charged with assault?

When cops ignore the law
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...-suicide-perspec-0726-jm-20150724-column.html

I was breaking no law. The cop who threatened me, however, was guilty of assault &#8212; which Texas says occurs when someone "intentionally or knowingly threatens another with imminent bodily injury." Since he had a gun on his hip, he may have even been guilty of aggravated assault. But it didn't matter. He and his colleagues acted as though they were in the right, and self-preservation dictated that I pretend they were.

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jslk said:

Did she see an attorney?

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I haven't seen where she did. Just attorney after her death.

ETA: Appears she had only had a bond hearing and not a plea and arraignment? I just guessing on that as I dont know for sure.

arkansasmimi said:

I keep seeing this posted that the prior traffic stop individual was white, can you please provide a link, I haven't seen that anywhere and would like to have it as a source. Thank you in advance.

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The sound of the woman's voice and my intuition. How the driver talked, how the cop talked to her. It's pretty obvious that there was a big difference in the cop's attitude between the two stops. So the question is why? The most likely explanation I can think of is that the drivers were of different races. Plus as some here have pointed out, that county is known as a racist crap hole. I believe that the cop racially profiled her as she was making the turn. Then he U-turned, and tailed her until he had a reason to stop her. Which happened when he saw her change lanes without using her turn signal. Thats the way cops work. No matter how good a driver you are, if the cop wants to stop you, all he has to do is follow you until you make one small mistake. Then he's got you. If all else fails the cop will just lie.

Nana said:

I think that little cup is creamer for her coffee, there is a pack of folders in the upper left and corner along with a sandwich, chips.
But she could have used the bed sheet and not the trash bag to end her own life.

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Thank you! I have just been reading and usually dont post but I have wanted to say my husband has been a correction officer for 30 years and when I spoke to him about this case he said there are mant things in a cell they can kill themselves with. On that subject there was nothing strange about the garbage bag being there as a sheet could do the same thing.

However my husband-who is a training officer -takes his job seriously. There is a walk around and a visual check on each inmate every 15 minutes. In his jail now there is a log you write in. In a prior jail there was a card you punched. He said if nobody checked on her for 2 hours or even 1 hour there is something seriously wrong in that jail. In 2 hours he said he would make 8 checks on an inmate.

As far as her being suicidal- being suicidal in the past does not equate to being on a suicide watch. they can only go on what they are told and observe.The jail he works in has a 4 page questionaire about it and then is interviewed by a mental health professional. If they are suicidal they are put in a rubber dress that can not be used to hurt them and a bare cell. You cant just decide on your own to do that if an inmate says they are fine. Crying is not a sign of someone killing themselves according to my husband. And if a person is already combative or really upset but may not really be suicidal, being put in that rubber dress can set people off more and has had many bang their heads against the concrete walls to the point of really hurting themselves. Its a very serious judgement call to put someone os suicide watch. However if inmates were checked as much as they should there is much less a chance of something like this happening.

Unfortunately I think she was more upset that nobody had bailed her out and her new job may have been in jeopardy in my opinion and thats what led her to do what she did.

I am not posting an opinion on the arrest because I dont really know how I feel. I see a shared blame there but thought I would give an opinion on jail protocol since my husband has "been on the inside" for 30 years.

Not sure on the little cup being for meds or not I would have to ask him but I know that inmates get their meds from officers in their cells and it would make sense that thats what they would be given their meds in.

bluesneakers said:

Are you not familiar with your miranda rights? :facepalm:

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Yes I am.... doen't say anything about you can stay in your car when asked to step out, and call your attorney. I have been using my friend Google and haven't found that under any Miranda Right yet, I will keep looking. Do you have a link for that?
The part of can stay in car and call your attorney? I didn't hear her invoke her right to stay silent either. She wasn't read her Miranda Rights either as far as I know... but.... according to Miranda Warning .org....

What are your Miranda Rights ... http://www.mirandawarning.org/whatareyourmirandarights.html

When The Police Must Read Your Rights

It is important to note that police are only required to Mirandize a suspect if they intend to interrogate that person under custody. Arrests can occur without the Miranda Warning being given. If the police later decide to interrogate the suspect, the warning must be given at that time. Their vigilance to this rule means less chance of a case being overturned in court due to poor procedure on their part.