TX - Sandra Bland, 28, found dead in jail cell, Waller County, 13 July 2015 #1

[Amperstand]

The reason why he asked her to put out her cig is because it is a safety issue for him and for her.

What if she flinged it at him because she was pissed and he caught on fire? What if she set her own car on fire because she was smoking in her own car?

Respectfully, cigarettes do not work like that.

 

[arkansasmimi]

My local news said that she wrote down that she was suicidal.

This news station got a copy of the questionnaire :
The Waller County sheriff says a 28-year-old woman who was found hanged in her jail cell told the guard as she was being booked into the facility that she previously tried to kill herself.

Waller County Sheriff Glenn Smith said Sandra Bland provided the information while being asked a series of questions posed to each person booked into the jail in Hempstead. On the questionnaire obtained by KHOU 11 News , Bland said she tried to kill herself with pills in 2014 after she lost a baby. On a separate area of the questionnaire, Bland said she had never been depressed.

The Waller County Sheriff released this booking questionnaire http://www.khou.com/story/news/loca...iler-about-previous-suicide-attempt/30533701/

 

[katydid23]

You posted it yourself. It is not SOP nor is it against the law. Except now we have a new one. " smoking while black".

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...-refused-to-put-out-a-cigarette-was-it-legal/

Do you think the police killed her and made it look like a suicide?

 

[ellie b]

This incident was just spoken about on our late night news (uk), so I thought I'd have a look at what websleuths had to say about it, I must admit that I haven't read your comments yet, just re-watched the video.
I have to say this , that woman didn't deserve to be arrested and banged-up (MOO). That was way to heavy handed on the cops part to be acceptable....my opinion. Wow... to be manhandled out of one's car with a stun gun being brandished after being told to put one's cigarette out, which the officer was not entitled to do. She asked him several times what she was being arrested for and he deflected, seems like he had to think about it.
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the police at all (quite the opposite, generally) and I understand that they have a very difficult job to do sometimes, the general public can be a pain in the ar*e, but in this instance, from what I saw, that officer was out of order.

 

[Cappuccino]

I saw this video on the news earlier, and I couldn't believe the way the cop behaved. He should lose his job for sure, he clearly isn't fit for it.

 

[KateB]

Governor Abbott has issued a statement. It is included in this post.
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/pol...399555.php?t=bb5ad9fa10&cmpid=twitter-premium

This is from the article, not the governor.

Here is reality in Texas so far:
- Sandra Bland's death in a southeast Texas jail has captivated the nation and the world's attention.
- The officer, Brian Encinia, broke agency protocol during his interaction with the 28-year-old black woman.
- The jail where Bland died was cited for inadequate inmate procedures that did not meet minimum state requirements, according to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
- The case has prompted a joint investigation by the Texas Rangers and the FBI, and the local district attorney is treating it as a murder case.
- A grieving family is left to bury their loved one and are committed, if Bland's mother's comments are any indication, to get answers at all costs.
In short, it is burning in Waller County.

More at link.

 

[ellie b]

Seth Stoughton, a University of South Carolina law professor and former Florida police officer, said Enicinia missed several opportunities to de-escalate tension and should have explained in calmer tones what he was doing and why.

(BBM)

“He certainly has the legal authority to get her to step out of the car,” Stoughton said. “But in this case, if he is exercising his authority because she defying his direction to put out the cigarette, then that is more based on his ego than public safety.... Just because it is legal to order her out of the car doesn't make it a professional approach in modern policing.

“This is a systemic problem with policing,” Stoughton said. “There is emphasis on compliance over cooperation.”
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-sandra-bland-arrest-experts-20150722-story.html#page=1

Exactly. He can certainly "ask" her to extinguish her cigarette BUT he can't ORDER her to put it out and then, when she points out that she can legally smoke in her own car, BASED ON HER RESPONSE, THEN demands that she get out of the car.

Totally agree with this.

 

[arkansasmimi]

Well I just found Sandra Bland Booking Documents, and it has her mugshot on it.... From LA Times http://documents.latimes.com/booking-documents-sandra-bland/

ETA: On last page (page 15) why would she have 2 IL drivers license diff numbers, and a TX ID and a TX DL?

 

[Doghairrules]

I am trying to figure out why this incident is causing so much media attention (even Fox covered this?)

Is there any evidence that she did not commit suicide by hanging? The autopsy will confirm whether or not she died from hanging. The surveillance video will confirm whether or not any one else entered her cell. So what is the big deal? Why the outrage?

From the dash-cam video the officer was very courteous when he first encountered the decedent asking her politely to please put out her cigarette but she automatically started to mouth-off and refused to comply with lawful orders. Had she just complied with the lawful orders of the officer she would be alive today but instead she decided to act in an arrogant and combative way.

(modsnip)

I respectfully completely disagree. He targeted her from before he pulled her over. Then he baited her by asking her what was wrong. Like any of us would be happy to be pulled over when all we were trying to do was get out of the way of an accelerating police car? I think he meant for all of this to happen.


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[katydid23]

I respectfully completely disagree. He targeted her from before he pulled her over. Then he baited her by asking her what was wrong. Like any of us would be happy to be pulled over when all we were trying to do was get out of the way of an accelerating police car? I think he meant for all of this to happen.


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It is interesting to say that he targeted her from before. Because IIRC, she was an activist against police brutality. So she seemed to have a target for him as well. And even when he was being polite at the start, she was rude and obstinate. So I think the blame can go both ways. he had an ego and did not deescalate things and that is wrong. But that does not mean he murdered her. And that is what her lawyer and her family seemed to imply for awhile.

 

[Doghairrules]

2nd driver SB was getting a warning also....

That's what he said AFTER the fact.


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[Doghairrules]

She still broke the law, no matter what the rest of the drivers do. And she did not die at the hands of that police officer. I am not excusing the officers actions, but nor does she get a pass for her actions. JMHO. No matter what the race of either.

I don't think we have any idea how she died at this point. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he gave her a head injury that caused her death 3 days later.


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[bluesneakers]

Governor Abbott has issued a statement. It is included in this post.
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/pol...399555.php?t=bb5ad9fa10&cmpid=twitter-premium

This is from the article, not the governor.


More at link.

From the article:

Until then, maybe they were too busy investigating Planned Parenthood, but Texans hadn't heard a peep about the Bland case from their chief executive. Their top law enforcement officer is still silent.

Yes, Governor Abbott has been preoccupied with Planned Parenthood and Jade Helm.

 

[ellie b]

It is interesting to say that he targeted her from before. Because IIRC, she was an activist against police brutality. So she seemed to have a target for him as well. And even when he was being polite at the start, she was rude and obstinate. So I think the blame can go both ways. he had an ego and did not deescalate things and that is wrong. But that does not mean he murdered her. And that is what her lawyer and her family seemed to imply for awhile.

I believe that the officer was morally wrong to arrest her (MOO), but I don't think it would be just to accuse him of causing her death. (MOO)

 

[Woodland]

Looking forward to seeing Encinia's work record for his one year of duty - since we know all about Ms Bland's history with LE.

How many times has he pulled his taser with his infamous phrase - I will light you up! Does he always say that when pulling out his taser? Was he anxious for the day he could say that? How many times has he passively-aggressively asked 'what's wrong?' during a traffic stop? How many scuffles/fights with the public?

 

[Rocco]

I don't think we have any idea how she died at this point. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he gave her a head injury that caused her death 3 days later.


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She was found hanged in her jail cell.

 

[Rocco]

I believe that the officer was morally wrong to arrest her (MOO), but I don't think it would be just to accuse him of causing her death. (MOO)

She was arrested for assaulting him. I've never heard of anyone not being arrested for assaulting a police officer.

 

[Doghairrules]

It is interesting to say that he targeted her from before. Because IIRC, she was an activist against police brutality. So she seemed to have a target for him as well. And even when he was being polite at the start, she was rude and obstinate. So I think the blame can go both ways. he had an ego and did not deescalate things and that is wrong. But that does not mean he murdered her. And that is what her lawyer and her family seemed to imply for awhile.

I mean I believe he targeted her before he found some reason to pull her over. He u-turned to follow her. He initiated the contact, not her.


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[DEPUTYDAWG]

OK, but why her race? Is that part of policy too? Because if it is, there is no reason for it, except to discriminate. Prisoners should be treated the same regardless of their race. So there should be no reason for officers to even discuss it.

I cannot speak for that specific officer, obviously.

However, rather than chalk it up to some race issue, my natural reaction was that it was done out of habit...by that I mean, every report we write, most of our dispatches and suspect/subject communications naturally go to race/sex. It's basically like they normally are reported together, whether on the phone, in a report, in a communications dispatch, etc. I guess it's just our lingo and routine.

I know many have issues with LE, and this situation as well as others. I'm not trying to defend this guy...I'm just trying to answer it honestly as to why it may happen, without some perceived bias. Hope that makes sense, LOL.

 

[Doghairrules]

She was found hanged in her jail cell.

Or she was rigged up to make it look like a hanging when it became clear she died from injuries caused by an officer and that the jail staff could be held accountable for not ensuring adequate medical care...


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