The Waller County District Attorney's office is planning on appointing an independent oversight committee to investigate the arrest and death of Chicago woman Sandra Bland.

According to the Houston Chronicle, D.A. Elton Mathis announced on Monday that he is installing defense attorneys Lewis M. White and Darrell W. Jordan to spearhead the independent committee and determine if criminal charges should be filed in the case.

"There are many lingering questions regarding the death of Sandra Bland," said Mathis.

The 28-year-old Bland died in a Texas jail cell earlier this month after being pulled over about 30 miles northwest of Houston by state trooper Brian Encina for failing to signal for a lane change. Video retrieved from the police dash cam shows the situation quickly morph out of control with Encina pulling out his Taser and threatening to "light up" Bland.

Bland was later charged with assaulting an officer and her death was quickly ruled a suicide by hanging. But amid protest and scrutiny from family members and activists, Mathis, who has a history of being accused of conducting racially charged prosecutions, is being forced to take a closer look at the situation.

At the time of her death, Bland was on the verge of moving from Chicago to Texas to work for her alma mater, Prairie View A&M University. Family members insist she had put a stretch of tough luck since graduation behind her, including suffering a miscarriage, and was looking forward to a fresh start.

Both White and Jordan have prosecution experience. White worked for Mathis for a year as a prosecutor in Waller County. Jordan has served as a prosecutor in the Army National Guard, where he still works as a defense attorney. White passed the state bar in 2002 and Jordan in 2006, according to the Texas State Bar's website.

Meanwhile, The Associated Press reported early on Mathis referred to Bland as an "it" and passionately encouraged the public to assess her behavior during the traffic stop.

"Sandra Bland was very combative," he added. "It was not a model traffic stop ... and it was not a model person that was stopped on a traffic stop. I think the public can make its own determinations as to the behaviors that are seen in the video."