Support NeoGAF

[EdibleKnife]

Sandra Bland was on her way to an appointment for a job interview when she was pulled over for failing to signal a lane change and subsequently arrested for allegedly assaulting an officer. Three days later she was found dead in her cell and authorities allege that the cause was self inflicted asphyxiation. Without any indication of suicidal tendencies witnessed, Bland's family and friends have challenged the sheriff's office, claiming foul play.

Police say Bland, a Chicago native who had recently moved to Texas to start a job as a college outreach officer, assaulted the officer who pulled her over during a routine traffic stop, Chicago's ABC-7 reports. Waller County Sheriff's office has said an autopsy determined that she later died in jail from "what appears to be self-inflicted asphyxiation."

Bland's friends have told reporters that things were going well for her and that she wouldn't harm herself, but that's not the only reason the case has drawn national attention. The police account hasn't been widely accepted, in part because it comes in the wake of a string of high-profile cases of African-American deaths at the hands of police officers — cases in which it took video footage to draw attention to what was later deemed misconduct to help prove that the officers' accounts were dishonest.

...

Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis has acknowledged the concerns of those who say she would not have committed suicide and suspect that her death involved foul play by law enforcement authorities.

"I will admit it is strange someone who had everything going for her would have taken her own life," he told NBC station KPRC in Houston. "That's why it's very important a thorough investigation is done and that we get a good picture of what Ms. Bland was going through the last four or five days of her life.

Additionally, the county sheriff has previously suspended and fired at an earlier position in 2007 for cases of racism filed against him.

We have now learned that Waller County Sheriff Glenn Smith, who made the first public comments about Bland's in-custody death, was suspended for documented cases of racism when he was chief of police in Hempstead, Texas, in 2007. After serving his suspension, more complaints of racism came in, and Smith was actually fired as chief of police in Hempstead:

Council members are reviewing video of four arrests and detentions over the past month. The officers and police chief, who are the targets of the complaints, are white. Some residents are calling for a third of the city's 15 person police force to be suspended, disciplined, or fired.
Allegations of racism have led to the Hempstead police chief being suspended and ordered to take anger management classes.

The Hempstead city council has been reviewing the case since last week and finally came to a decision at around 2am Tuesday. A number of residents have come forward with claims of racism by at least four white police officers.

The council reviewed the complaints, along with videotapes before making their decision to punish Chief Glen Smith. Some say it wasn't enough. The chief says he respects the decision.

"My action during the arrest did not meet professionalism as it should with language and I'm not above policy and procedure, no more than any officer of this city," said Chief Smith.

Edit:

They've released a second version of the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaW09Ymr2BA

Edit:

I really feel this is a story of unrecognized depression.

The family says there were no signs of depression.

Sandra Bland posted a video to her Facebook (which her family and friends should have seen) apologizing for being so "absent" lately, and also suggested she she was suffering from depression and self-diagnosed PTSD.

http://www.theroot.com/articles/new...d_may_have_suffered_from_depression_ptsd.html
​

Why would she kill herself? She had so much to live for.

According to NBC Chicago she owned $7,500 in court fines and fees from driving with a suspended license, driving without insurance, DUI. Fees that would all be due when she renewed her license or applied for another in Texas. There was also a warrant out for her and she was in jail in Chicago, though it's not clear why. It looks like this erratic behavior was accelerating. Either way it was definitely a major stress source , as it would be for anyone, and it was catching up with her.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/investiga...revious-Encounters-With-Police-316025661.html
​

Depression is a real thing, family and friends often don't want to recognize it.

Edit:

Didn't see this in the OP stories - apparently she contacted a bail bondsman before she died.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...bail-before-allegedly-committing-suicide.html

Edit:

She has a previous suicide attempt from 2014 via pills. She reported this herself.

https://twitter.com/miyashay/status/623984155206881280/photo/1

She needed 500 dollars in bond money and her family (notably her sister) either refused to help or were not able to get the money, depending on the reports you believe. Not hard to imagine how this could very upsetting for someone sitting in jail for 3 days, especially if they are temperamental. There's so much we don't know.

http://abc13.com/news/sources-sandra-bland-mentioned-previous-suicide-attempt/872946/

Oh, and yes you do have to leave your car during a traffic stop when asked. You can make it clear that you do not consent, but if you're not complying you are opening yourself up to a lot of additional trouble. Just don't put yourself through it. What baffles me the most are the people defending her 'right' to not have to leave her car. That right does not exist in this scenario.

http://www.columbuscriminaldefensea...ng-a-traffic-stop-police-interaction-part-ix/

Edit:

Interesting that the jail admits to breaking some rules. I wonder if they are going to try to scapegoat some corrections officers and whitewash the deputy's misconduct. Makes sense from a liability standpoint for a variety of reasons.

Edit:

Interesting that the jail admits to breaking some rules. I wonder if they are going to try to scapegoat some corrections officers and whitewash the deputy's misconduct. Makes sense from a liability standpoint for a variety of reasons.

Edit:

This is basically victim blaming, don't worry about the police being a bunch of unlawful thugs just go along with it in case they decide to fuck you over for using your basic rights.

I just read the transcript of the incident and felt like throwing up, fuck this cop http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sandra-bland-arrest-transcript_55b03a88e4b0a9b94853b1f1

Edit:

The autopsy results are out, didn't see anyone post this yet.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/23/us/sandra-bland-arrest-death-main/

"There were no bite marks or other injuries on her face, on her lips, on her tongue, which would be consistent with a violent struggle," he said.

If there had been a violent struggle, the prosecutor said, examiners would most likely not expect to see a uniform and consistent mark around Bland's neck -- which is what they, in fact, observed. They also did not observe damage to her trachea and esophagus, which they might expect to see if there had been a violent struggle, he said.

She did have approximately 30 "cut marks," on her left wrist, according to Diepraam, which were in a state of healing. Bland also had lacerations or abrasions on her wrists, which are consistent with being handcuffed and struggling, he said.

Additionally, she had scabs on her back, on the right side of her shoulder blade, which could indicate that someone applied force there, or that she applied force against an object, Diepraam said. He told reporters Bland had marijuana in her system at the time of her death.

Although the early autopsy results offer, in his words, "very overwhelming evidence," Diepraam stressed to CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront" that the case is not closed.

"I feel comfortable that their findings are correct, but there's still a lot of information out there so we're not forming any conclusions at this point," he said. "Nothing is certain."

Vox
Heavy
Slate (Includes video of arrest)
ABC7 (Article with news clipped video)
AJ (Interrupted video)

 

[ryutaro's mama]

I am so angry right now.

Suicide...yeah, of course.

:|

 

[Gentleman Jack]

for making an improper lane change

Add this one to the list

 

[JDSN]

Not sure why they keep this piece of shit Sherrif's in the system, you got fired for being racist? Thats it, you are done.

 

[commedieu]

just a hand full of nation wide issues.

 

[Kid Kamikaze10]

This one has haunted me. Really shows that no matter your gender, sexuality, or class...

If you are black, and you catch the ire of an officer, your life is forfeit. I almost joined a greek org, may go for multiple degrees (only have one), have occasionally gone on roadtrips, and in them, I always had a fear that if I got in trouble with police, that's it.

This story reflects one of my greatest fears.


And the people who care are already processing and figuring out what to do.

The ones who should care? They aren't going to do shit.


Which makes change nigh-impossible.

 

[HORRORSHØW]

when is enough enough? centuries of institutionalized racism will not go unanswered. shit is quickly bubbling at the surface and the tension will explode into a geyser of cathartic release. and it will be bloody.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Add this one to the list

There was also a recent story where a girl who was having a grand mal seizure was tased 3 times by a cop.

So there's another one for the list too.

Don't drive
Don't walk
Don't look/stare
Don't run
Don't drive slowly
Don't have a stroke
Don't have a seizure
Don't drive to a well lit area when ordered to stop
Don't change lanes
Don't go swimming

 

[Stinkles]

I am so angry right now.

Suicide...yeah, of course.

:|

Well, so far all we know sure is that the arrest was effed up.

The department looks like it has significant issues too, but frankly families ALWAYS say this stuff, no matter what.

However the good news is that this is getting a proper investigation and not simply being swept under the rug.

I wonder in the end accounting how many custodial "suicides" are actually shady.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

the more things change

 

[KidGalactus]

Well, so far all we know sure is that the arrest was effed up.

The department looks like it has significant issues too, but frankly families ALWAYS say this stuff, no matter what.

However the good news is that this is getting a proper investigation and not simply being swept under the rug.

I wonder in the end accounting how many custodial "suicides" are actually shady.

Seems like there is some other fishy stuff:

At 9 a.m., a female jailer came by her cell to see if she wanted recreation time, and found Bland “not breathing from what appears to be self-inflicted asphyxiation...

...Chicago Tribune reports that online county jail records show that Bland was actually released Monday on $5,000 bond. “If Bland was to have been released on Monday, why was she being offered ‘recreation time?'”

http://www.thefrisky.com/2015-07-16/what-happened-to-sandra-bland/

 

[NastyBook]

Considering embracing agoraphobia.

EDIT: My first time hearing about this story. RIP.

 

[Formless]

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/07/sandra-bland-waller-county-racism/398975/

 

[Velcro Fly]

Dashcam video released. It's like 52 minutes but most of the stuff happens in the first 10 or 15 minutes I think

http://abc7chicago.com/news/sandra-bland-dashcam-arrest-video-released/868657/

 

[Tenzan]

So she was at jail at the sheriffs or the county jail? Either way how can there not be cameras there?

 

[_Nemo]

Yeah....

 

[Velcro Fly]

So she was at jail at the sheriffs or the county jail? Either way how can there not be cameras there?

there are cameras there and they show that no one went in or out of her cell until the person who found her dead apparently.

 

[Exokell]

Wtf

 

[Tenzan]

there are cameras there and they show that no one went in or out of her cell until the person who found her dead apparently.

Wow so unless if there is proof that the video was tampered this is just about all there is as to what happened

 

[FriedConsole]

there are cameras there and they show that no one went in or out of her cell until the person who found her dead apparently.

Yeah I keep waiting for some evidence to get outraged on this and it isn't there.

This is not evidence or even something that is giving me red flags:

The police account hasn't been widely accepted, in part because it comes in the wake of a string of high-profile cases of African-American deaths at the hands of police officers — cases in which it took video footage to draw attention to what was later deemed misconduct to help prove that the officers' accounts were dishonest.

 

[Ovid]

I love how the cop was asked her why she was irritated, then said "Are you finished?".

You can see that he gets pissed off and then tells her to extinguish her cigarette just to show who's in charge.

 

[neogaffer1]

yeah i heard about this on npr a few times

the family thing is just "she had a new job coming up and was excited for it" but that doesn't really hold up as there is a lot of depression cases where the person attempts/commits suicide and the family didn't even realize they were depressed or were having any sort of problems.

 

[GaimeGuy]

I love how the only times dash cam footage gets quickly and promptly released to the public is when it backs the police narrative. Footage which contradicts them only comes out after eyewitnesses raise a ruckus or release their own video.


Suicide can come up without warning. All it takes is one random event, not even like an arrest, to trigger a bout of depression. But it's sad the jails don't do more to protect prisoners from each other and themselves. They just lock them up and forget about them.

And how was she still in her cell if she posted bail?

 

[Brianimaniac]

Dashcam video released. It's like 52 minutes but most of the stuff happens in the first 10 or 15 minutes I think

http://abc7chicago.com/news/sandra-bland-dashcam-arrest-video-released/868657/

Well, no surprise she ended up in jail. What the fuck was she thinking?

Not enough info to comment about what happened later.

 

[Ovid]

Well, no surprise she ended up in jail. What the fuck was she thinking?

Not enough info to comment about what happened later.

I admit she was acting belligerent.

 

[Wall]

Yeah, it looks to me like the police officer escalated the situation needlessly.

 

[platocplx]

I admit she was acting belligerent.

Ive acted pissed off with cops and they just give me my ticket and walk away. Not show who is boss. By telling you what to do in your your car. Could she have put out the cig absolutely. But there is no law that says she has to in the presence of an officer. Then he asks why shes upset then hears it and goes are you done? Again being an asshole about it.

Simple traffic stop should just give them their ticket and go about your business
business. he had no reason to ask her to step out of her vehicle. Officer escalated that shit so fast.

The crazy part is seeing how nice he was to the person he pulled over before.

 

[Brianimaniac]

The crazy part is seeing how nice he was to the person he pulled over before.

It would only be crazy if the other person was also being an asshole the entire time.

 

[platocplx]

It would only be crazy if the other person was also being an asshole the entire time.

Cops deal with assholes all the time. It doesnt escalate like that. She was upset she was getting a ticket. The other person got a warning of course they would be chipper.

 

[LudicrousSpeed]

The tape removes any doubt that her arrest was anything but a Contempt of Cop arrest. Just a powertripping piece of shit who decided to push his authority because he didn't feel like he was being given sufficient deference.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

That cop was sure good with explanations and logic there.

"Get out of the car!"

"Why?"

"Get out of the car!"

"Why?"

"I will shoot you!"


Good job, good effort, police officer. You sure are a bright one.

 

[biggersmaller]

Cop was a dick, she was kinda bratty and unless the jail video was tampered with - she committed suicide. I can't blame the family for being in denial, though.

 

[Velcro Fly]

That cop was sure good with explanations and logic there.

"Get out of the car!"

"Why?"

"Get out of the car!"

"Why?"

"I will shoot you!"


Good job, good effort, police officer. You sure are a bright one.

to be fair he doesn't say shoot. he says "i will light you up"

 

[platocplx]

to be fair he doesn't say shoot. he says "i will light you up"

And just using the taser for compliance. Smh

 

[Nephtis]

That cop was sure good with explanations and logic there.

"Get out of the car!"

"Why?"

"Get out of the car!"

"Why?"

"I will shoot you!"


Good job, good effort, police officer. You sure are a bright one.

It's not just a threat though. A lot of the times, it's a promise.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

The tape removes any doubt that her arrest was anything but a Contempt of Cop arrest. Just a powertripping piece of shit who decided to push his authority because he didn't feel like he was being given sufficient deference.

.

It's gross and terrifying how cases like this are being exposed as cops fucking up people who don't tonally and behaviorally agree to being terrorized by the cops.

 

[v0yce]

Well, no surprise she ended up in jail. What the fuck was she thinking?

Not enough info to comment about what happened later.

What?

What was SHE thinking?

The cop dragged her out of her car for not using her blinker.

The fact that some people "aren't surprised" by this is disgusting.

 

[Zeus Molecules]

Cop was a dick, she was kinda bratty and unless the jail video was tampered with - she committed suicide. I can't blame the family for being in denial, though.

have they released a video yet or are you giving the officers the benefit of the doubt?

 

[Boke1879]

I admit she was acting belligerent.

Cop had no reason to arrest her. He only wanted to arrest her because she refused to put out her cig. She actually knew her rights. Officer escalated the situation.

 

[Velcro Fly]

have they released a video yet or are you giving the officers the benefit of the doubt?

not sure if they've released it to the public but the Texas Rangers and the FBI are both investigating her death so if there is any discrepancy it will come out sooner rather than later.

the only thing i know they've released to the public is about a minute long clip of a female cop going into the cell, finding her, and running out calling for medical attention. then approximately 3-5 minutes real time later people run in to give medical assistance. some timelines say 3 minutes, a couple i've seen say it was as long as 6 minutes.

i'm also hearing that it is lawful for police in texas to ask you to step out of your vehicle. again i'm not 100% because it was some houston chronicle thing i saw linked on twitter that also basically says to play nice with cops even if they are doing illegal things.

 

[Kite]

have they released a video yet or are you giving the officers the benefit of the doubt?

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na...-jail-hanging-case-20150720-story.html#page=1

They released the footage. tl;dr no one entered the cell for about 1.5 hours before the body was discovered. So it looks like unless you want believe the footage is edited (camera is motion-activated, 9 min of footage spanning several hours), she probably hung herself.

edit:

Local officials released about three hours of surveillance video from the hallway outside cell 95 on Monday. It appeared to show that no one entered her cell between the time a jail worker last checked on her and when her body was discovered.

A chronology Waller County Sheriff's investigators released with the video says it starts at time stamp 6:03 a.m., but it is actually nine minutes, 26 seconds fast. At the start, jail officers can be seen serving breakfast. (Bland refused a tray.)

About 6:51 a.m., an officer can be seen entering cell 95 for a security check.

At 7:17 a.m., a different male officer can be seen peering into the rectangular window of cell 95, according to the chronology, “checking on Ms. Bland.”

About 30 seconds later, another officer stops at cell 95 and appears to be talking to Bland for several seconds.

There's then a gap in the footage — from 7:18 to 7:24 a.m.

Waller County Dist. Atty. Elton Mathis noted that the video is motion-activated, so, “There's going to be some gaps.”

“At this point, we don't believe there was any editing. These have not been analyzed by the FBI yet,” Mathis said at a Monday news briefing with sheriff's investigators.

From 7:34 to 9:07 a.m., the video shows no movement in or out of cell 95.

Then, about 9:07 a.m., a female officer can be seen checking the window of cell 95 — and running for help. She returns with a male officer, and others soon join them, performing CPR.

At 9:13 a.m., paramedics can be seen entering the jail and then cell 95. By 9:16 a.m., a paramedic pronounces Bland dead, and they can be seen leaving a minute later.

 

[Thaedolus]

Cops deal with assholes all the time. It doesnt escalate like that. She was upset she was getting a ticket. The other person got a warning of course they would be chipper.

She was getting a warning. He seemed pretty chill the first approach. He noticed she was acting funny and asked her what was wrong, started probing a bit. Standard procedure when someone's acting especially nervous or agitated. He goes back and she starts laying into him. He sounds irritated when he says "are you done?" probably because he's got a warning ready for her and she's pissed about the non-existent ticket. When she doesn't put out the cigarette and continues to be chipper, he gives her a (lawful) command to exit the vehicle. At this point he must have figured he had probable cause to do a search due to her behavior.

What happens after that is probably lawful, but unfortunate in that the officer decides to escalate instead of de-escalating. For example, he might've explained that he was giving her a warning earlier on instead of turning it into a pissing match. Still, the woman was wrong to refuse his commands and resist arrest (legally, anyway). When you're being placed under arrest, it's over. Do as you're told for everyone's safety for fuck's sake.

What happened in jail is a mystery at this point.

My strategy of being as polite and respectful to police as possible during a stop, no matter how frustrating or annoyed or nervous I am, has yet to backfire.

Did this woman deserve to die? No. Did this cop need to escalate the situation? No. Did she need to antagonize him and refuse lawful orders? No. Lots of shit happened that shouldn't have happened and this ended in tragedy. Lessons to be learned all around, in my opinion.

 

[marrec]

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na...-jail-hanging-case-20150720-story.html#page=1

They released the footage. tl;dr no one entered the cell for about 1.5 hours before the body was discovered. So it looks like unless you want believe the footage is edited (camera is motion-activated, 9 min of footage spanning several hours), she probably hung herself.

edit:

Cause the police never tamper with their recording equipment. :-/

At this point in American History is seems more plausible to me. Will await further investigations.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

My strategy of being as polite and respectful to police as possible during a stop, no matter how frustrating or annoyed or nervous I am, has yet to backfire.

This is very dependent on race.

 

[Zeus Molecules]

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na...-jail-hanging-case-20150720-story.html#page=1

They released the footage. tl;dr no one entered the cell for about 1.5 hours before the body was discovered. So it looks like unless you want believe the footage is edited (camera is motion-activated, 9 min of footage spanning several hours), she probably hung herself.

edit:

I'm not saying the 9 minutes are significant. However, what movements in after the motion camera after the 9 minute gap that had the camera running from the 7:24 to 9:07? The whole thing is funky

 

[Opto]

Suicide. Suuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrre

 

[watershed]

I don't believe for a second that she committed suicide.

 

[Thaedolus]

This is very dependent on race.

I won't ignore the fact that being white most definitely puts people at ease in and of itself (this is a documented fact, even black people inherently react to black men with unease), but anything you can do to help is going to be appreciated. I turn on the lights in my cabin, roll down both windows, and place my hands on the steering wheel as well. I also immediately inform the officer that I have a concealed carry permit and whether or not I'm carrying. Once I was asked if I was nervous, why I was being so cautious. I said "I'm not nervous and I don't want you to be either."

I do all of that as a white man. It seems ridiculous but I'm never going to risk some bullshit when the person on the other end has a lethal weapon and can legally put me down.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Could the cop be brought up on coercion or terroristic threat charges? Threatening to kill someone for not getting out of their car is escalating things as high as possible. It's right there on video. A cop shouldn't just go around threatening to light people up simply for non-compliance.

 

[RELIGHT]

Re-thread? Anyway this story stinks of bullshit