A passerby caught Sandra Bland on camera after a routine traffic stop. She was kneeling on the ground, bent over, and holding her head. Unfortunately, the video did not show the events that led to her arrest.
Stephen A. Crockett, Jr. Screenshot
Bland’s Last Words
Just a few sentences of her conversation came through on the video,
“You slammed my head to the ground. Don’t you not even care about that? I can’t even hear.”?
As the police officer led her to the patrol car, she spoke to the stranger standing outside of a church who was recording the event on his cell phone,
“He slammed my f*cking head to the ground. (Inaudible) Thank you for recording. Thank you. They slammed me to the ground and everything.”
Now She Is Dead
Now Bland is dead. What? How did this civil rights activist and advocate end up in her jail cell as an apparent victim of suicide? It doesn’t make any sense.
Bland was arrested for ?assault on a public servant, which is a third-degree felony.? She appeared in court Saturday when bond was set for $5,000.
By Monday morning she was dead in her jail cell. The Waller County Sheriff’s Office called it a ?tragic incident? and ruled the 28-year-old woman’s death,
??from what appears to be self-inflicted asphyxiation.?
Tricia Bentley, Harris County Institute Of Forensic Sciences In Houston, told the Chicago Tribune that the autopsy results showed Bland’s case had been ?classified as a suicide, with the cause of death (listed as) hanging.?
Mysterious Circumstances
Bland’s family and anyone who knew her find it impossible to believe that such a passionate and vibrant young woman could have committed suicide.
Bland’s Facebook page, ?Sandy Speaks?, was filled with videos and her observations about race in America:
?Being a black person in America is very, very hard. Show me in?American history?where all lives matter.?
She had recently moved from Chicago to an area about 50 miles northwest of Houston. Bland was ready to start a new job Wednesday as a college outreach officer ?at her alma mater, Prairie View A&M University.”
A?family friend sent an email to NBC Chicago,
?Family and friends have?no doubt?that foul play was involved.?She was a very outspoken individual, who loved life, went to church and loved her family.?
Waller County District Attorney Elton?Mathis?also questioned the circumstances that led to Bland’s death:
?I will admit it is strange someone who had everything going for her would have taken her own life. That’s why it’s very important a thorough investigation is done and that we get a?good picture?of what Ms. Bland was going through the last four or five days of her life.
If there was something nefarious, or if there was some foul play involved, we’ll get to the bottom of that.?
Sheriff Fired For Racism Near Houston
Waller County Sheriff Glenn Smith?was suspended for documented cases of racism?when?he was the Chief of Police in Hempstead, Texas (2007). After residents continued to complain of racism, Smith was fired.
Smith told NBC Chicago,
?(On Monday) she was given breakfast and spoken to, at about 7 in the morning. At 8, she spoke to a supervisor on the intercom about?making a phone call.
?One of the female?jailers?went to the door to see if she wanted to go to the rec yard. She hollered for help, they started CPR. And unfortunately, couldn’t revive her.?
The Texas Rangers and the FBI are conducting an investigation.
Unforgettable Video
Watch Bland’s arrest here:
What a terrible, terrible loss.
