Texas police release jail video in Sandra Bland case, add details about hanging

Sandra Bland
(Image credit: Facebook)

On Monday, the Waller County, Texas, Sheriff's Office released three hours of video footage from a camera aimed at the hallway outside the jail cell of Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old black woman found dead in her cell on July 13. Bland, 28, had been stopped by a sheriff's deputy on July 10 for changing lanes without a signal, and then arrested after, the deputy said, Bland assaulted him. The sheriff's office said it will release dash-cam video of the arrest on Tuesday.

Monday's video shows a sheriff's deputy discovering Bland's body and running to get help, but it shows no movement for about 90 minutes before that — sheriff's department officials said that on the morning of her death, Bland refused a food tray about 6:30 a.m. and was found dead with a garbage bag around her neck just after 9 a.m. The county coroner ruled the death a suicide, but Bland's family finds that unlikely, arguing that Bland just moved to Houston to take a new job she was excited about. The Waller County district attorney, Elton Mathis, promised a full, thorough investigation.

"It is very much too early to make any kind of determination that this was a suicide or a murder because the investigations are not complete," Mathis said, adding: "This investigation is still being treated just as it would be in a murder investigation. There are many questions being raised in Waller County, across the country and the world about this case. It needs a thorough review." The FBI and Texas Rangers are helping with the case, and Mathis said he will impanel a grand jury in August. Capt. Brian Cantrell at the sheriff's department said that Bland's death "was a tragic incident, not one of criminal intent or a criminal act" but that he welcomed the investigation. You can watch part of the video below. Peter Weber

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.