Sandra Bland Update: Family of Sandra Bland Files Lawsuit for Wrongful Death
The family of Sandra Bland has filed a lawsuit against a Texas trooper on Tuesday for wrongful death.
Bland's family accused the state trooper, named Brian Encinia, and a sheriff's office of being responsible for her alleged suicide in a county jail, according to Reuters.
The suit, filed in a federal court in Texas, claims that the defendants violated Bland's constitutional rights.
Bland, a black woman, was pulled over in her car on July 10, by a white state trooper, because she failed to signal a lane change. After being arrested, her body was found in a jail cell three days later with a trash bag around her neck.
Her suspicious death led to national coverage of speculators saying that she was a victim of racist treatment. Some also say that her mug shot was taken when she was already dead, after officials panicked when they realized they failed to give her proper medical care.
The lawsuit said Encinia "intentionally, willfully, wantonly, and unreasonably deprived Sandra Bland of her rights, privileges and immunities secured by the U.S. Constitution."
Meanwhile, local officials say Bland was not mistreated in jail.
At the same time, the Texas Department of Public Safety said that Encinia acted improperly in making the stop. The police car's dash camera recorded the incident, in which the trooper asked Bland to put out a cigarette and when she refused, the situation quickly escalated.
Encinia was put on desk duty for violating procedures during the stop, USA Today reports.
"Mr. Encinia is still employed and it doesn't make sense that the taxpayers are paying for the type of service that he employed on July 10," said Cannon Lambert Sr., who is representing the Bland family. "We are looking for Waller County and the individuals involved to take accountability."
Although Bland has had a history of depression, her family questioned the alleged suicide, citing that she was about to start a new job at Prairie View A&M University, her alma mater.
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