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Grand Jury Fails to Indict Anyone for Death of Sandra Bland in Texas Jail Cell

HeadlineDec 22, 2015

In Texas, a grand jury has failed to indict anyone in the death of Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old African-American woman found dead in her Waller County jail cell in July. Bland was arrested July 10 by Texas State Trooper Brian Encinia, who accused her of failing to signal a lane change. Dash cam video of her arrest shows Encinia forcibly removing Bland from her car and threatening to “light [her] up” after she refused to put out her cigarette. She can later be heard accusing police of slamming her head into the ground and saying she has epilepsy, to which Trooper Encinia replies, “Good.” Bland had recently moved to Texas to start a job at Prairie View A&M University, her alma mater. But she was found hanging from a trash bag in her cell three days after her arrest. Her family and supporters have disputed authorities’ claim her death was a suicide. Speaking Monday, special prosecutor Darrell Jordan said the grand jury will reconvene next month.

Darrell Jordan: “It has been a very, very long day, for us, as well as the grand jury. After presenting all the evidence as it relates to the death of Sandra Bland, the grand jury did not return an indictment. The grand jury also considered things that occurred at the jail, and did not return an indictment. There are other issues that the grand jury is still considering, and they will take up those issues when we return next month.”

Sandra Bland’s family says they have been shut out of the grand jury process and only learned of Monday’s decision from news reports.

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