The family of Sandra Bland is calling for authorities to reopen an investigation into her death. The 28-year-old African-American woman died in a Texas jail cell in 2015, three days after she was arrested for allegedly failing to signal a lane change. Authorities have claimed Sandra Bland committed suicide while in jail by hanging herself with a garbage bag, but her family has long rejected this claim. On Monday, the Dallas TV station WFAA aired cellphone video filmed by Bland capturing the moment when she was pulled over. In the 39-second video, you can see the officer—Brian Encinia—drawing his stun gun and saying, “I will light you up.”
Brian Encinia: “Get out of the car! Now!”
Sandra Bland: “Why am I being apprehended? You’re trying to give me a ticket for a failure”—
Brian Encinia: “I said get out of the car!”
Sandra Bland: “Why am I being apprehended? You just opened my car door.”
Brian Encinia: “I am giving you a lawful order.”
Sandra Bland: “You just opened my car door.”
Brian Encinia: “I am going to drag you out of here.”
Sandra Bland: “So, you’re going to—you’re threatening to drag me out of my own car.”
Brian Encinia: “Get out of the car!”
Sandra Bland: “And then you’re going to stun me?”
Brian Encinia: “I will light you up! Get out!”
Sandra Bland: “Wow! Wow!”
Brian Encinia: “Now!”
Sandra Bland: “Wow!”
Brian Encinia: “Get out of the car!”
Sandra Bland: “Really? For a failure to signal. You’re doing all of this for a failure to signal.”
Brian Encinia: “Get over there!”
Sandra Bland: “Right, yeah. Yeah, let’s take this to court. Let’s do it.”
Brian Encinia: “Go ahead!”
Sandra Bland: “For a failure to signal. Yeah, for a failure to signal!”
Brian Encinia: “Get off the phone!”
Sandra Bland: “On my school!”
Brian Encinia: “Get off the phone!”
Sandra Bland: “I’m not on the phone. I have a right to record.”
Brian Encinia: “Put your phone down.”
Sandra Bland: “This is my property.”
Brian Encinia: “Put your phone down!”
Sandra Bland: “This is my property. Sir?”
Brian Encinia: “Put your phone down! Right now!”
Attorneys for the Bland family say the cellphone video proves the officer lied when he had claimed he felt his safety was in jeopardy when he pulled over Sandra Bland.