Sandra Bland was a 28-year-old black woman who was found hanged in a jail cell in Waller County, Texas, on July 13, 2015. Her death was classified as a suicide by the county coroner and was followed by protests against her arrest disputing the cause of death and alleging racial violence against her. Bland had been pulled over for a minor traffic violation on July 10 by state trooper Brian Encinia. He arrested her following an escalating conflict during which he alleged that she had assaulted him and which was recorded by his dashcam and by a bystander's cellphone. After authorities reviewed the dashcam footage, Encinia was placed on administrative duty for failing to follow proper traffic stop procedures. On July 16, Texas authorities and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Houston Division announced that they had begun a joint investigation into Bland's death.[2] A motion-activated camera outside her cell recorded no movement in the hallway for 90 minutes before jailers found her dead. An autopsy conducted by the Harris County medical examiner ruled Bland's death a suicide and said it found no evidence of a violent struggle. The results from a second independent autopsy requested by her family have not been released. In December 2015, a grand jury declined to issue an indictment in connection to Bland's death. A wrongful death lawsuit is pending. In January 2016, the grand jury indicted Encinia for perjury. The Texas Department of Public Safety dismissed Encinia as a result of his indictment. August 12, 2015 HEMPSTEAD, Texas - Anger billowed over at the Waller County Jail Wednesday as a group of demonstrators protested the Sandra Bland incident. "Sandra Bland didn't have to be here," said one protestor. "America allowed this to happen," he continued. The heavily armed demonstrators from the New Black Panther Party were greeted by a wall of mounted sheriff's deputies from Harris County. The riot response team was called in to provide backup after demonstrators stormed the lobby of the jail on Sunday. Four Waller County Sheriff's deputies were slightly injured. There was no violence during the protest on Wednesday. But police barricades surrounding the jail's entrance and the show of force by police didn't sit well with some bystanders. "That's just tax-payers money going to waste," said Harold Manuel. "Tax-payers ought to be ashamed to see that." Alicia Cormier agreed. "It's kind of disheartening because you don't want it to turn violent," said Cormier. "I think everyone has good intentions here today." Despite the complaints, some locals said Waller County is getting a bum rap. "Hempstead is not a racial community," said Donna Hyland. "We all get along. And it makes me kind of sad." December 17, 2015 HOUSTON – A federal judge has set the date for trial in the wrongful death suit filed by Sandra Bland’s family. The case will head to court in January of 2017. Bland was found dead in her Waller County jail cell last summer. Her death was ruled a suicide. Her family doesn’t believe she killed herself and they are suing Waller County, DPS and the trooper who arrested her. The family’s attorney complained Thursday that they still haven’t received the Texas Rangers’ report on what exactly happened to her. December 21, 2015 WALLER COUNTY, Texas – A grand jury issued no indictments for the death of Sandra Bland Monday night. It’s the news so many in Waller County, and around the country, have been waiting to hear. After listening to reams of evidence in three lengthy sessions, the grand jury decided not to indict anyone in Sandra Bland’s death, nor any of the employees at the Waller County Jail, where she died in custody back in July. The medical examiner ruled it a suicide, saying she hanged herself in her cell. “There are other issues that the grand jury is still considering,” said Jordan. That includes potential charges against the DPS trooper who pulled Bland over, in a traffic stop that escalated and landed Bland in jail. The grand jury will reconvene in January to consider whether to bring other charges. Special prosecutors aren’t saying what other potential indictments could still be on the table, nor releasing any details of what happened in the grand jury room. That’s because of the secrecy of the process, something Bland’s family spoke out against Monday in Chicago.

KHOU