Texas Trooper Who Arrested Sandra Bland Placed on Desk Duty [Video]
The Texas trooper that pulled over and arrested a woman who was later found dead in her jail cell was put on desk duty Friday for violating procedures, announced the Texas Department of Public Safety.
After being pulled over for a traffic violation on Friday, July 10, Sandra Bland was arrested and taken to the Waller County jail, where she spent the weekend. However, three days later on Monday, the 28-year-old Prairie View A&M graduate was found hanged in her cell.
Although the Harris County's medical examiner ruled the death as a suicide, the victim's family disputes that she was suicidal and would purposely harm herself.
Officials say Bland was found "not breathing from what appears to be self-inflicted asphyxiation." CPR was immediately performed, but she was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Video also shows Bland was alone in her cell before she died, but no cameras were in the jail cell where she was found dead, said Elton Mathis, Waller County district attorney.
"It appears she had used a trash bag to hang herself from a partition in the ceiling, which was used to give inmates privacy," said Mathis, reports USA Today.
On Friday, state public safety officials said the unidentified trooper "violated the department's procedures regarding traffic stops and the department's courtesy policy" during Bland's arrest.
According to KHOU 11 News, the jail was cited for violations of minimum jail standards on Thursday by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. "The violations cited were: 1. Observation of inmates. Standards require inmates be observed face-to-face at least every 60 minutes around the clock; and 2. Staff training, including how to handle inmates who are mentally disabled and/or suicidal," it reported.
"At this time, we have no reason to believe that either one of these deficiencies had any part in the death of Sandra Bland," said Waller County Sheriff Glenn Smith in a statement.
Following her death, alleged video of Bland's arrest uploaded to Facebook and YouTube. In the video, Bland is seen on the ground, yelling that the deputies slammed her head into the ground.
One of the deputies then told the person recording the altercation to leave.
The FBI and the Texas Rangers are investigating her death.
Watch the video below.
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!