Menu. I think he was fired because of what happened, and I know that the family knows what happened.. Minnesota Derek Chauvin/Place of birth. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. Trooper Encinia appears to display rude behavior by asking the violator why she seemed irritated and then, when she quits talking, asking her if she is done. Bland was detained, and three days later, she was found hanging in her jail cell. A native Texan, Nola serves as reporter for the Katy edition of Community Impact Newspaper. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. The state Public Safety department moved to fire Encinia after his perjury indictment in January accused him of lying about the confrontation. The post includes a pictureshowing Bland in an orange jumpsuit with her eyes rolled back into her head. Texas lawmakers passed the Sandra Bland Act in 2017. A prosecutor can still go to trial if he or she believes that the evidence is strong enough to warrant one, and there will still be a grand jury regarding the events surrounding the arrest. However, Melissa Hamilton, visiting criminal law scholar at the University of Houston, states the opposite. Nationwide tensions over the deathsof Black Americans in police custody particularly at traffic stopsandevidence that law enforcement officialsedited several segments from the dashcam videoalso heightened skepticism. Source Austin American-Statesman. Protesters have made use of Garners last words, I cant breathe, as a slogan and chant against police brutality since Garners death and Pantaleos grand jury decision. Lawyers for Bland's family have argued that Texas state trooper Brian Encinia had no grounds for the July arrest. How many more videos do we have to see before law enforcement does something. Geneva Reed-Veal, Bland's mother, balked at Encinia's perjury misdemeanor charge, which carries up to a $4,000 fine and a year in jail. Bland was found three days after her arrest hanged with a plastic bag in her cell. There have been 179 this year, according to Mappingpoliceviolence.org. Trooper Brian Encinia was fired after failing to rebut disciplinary charges leveled against him in January, Public Safety Director Steven McCraw . Comments are off for this post. Sandra Bland's own video of 2015 Texas traffic stop surfaces. Still,some people felt the details of the case weretoo strange to be true. VOTE: Whats the best KXAN viewer photo of February? Trooper Encinia said that he was genuinely concerned that something was going on with the violator because of the behavior that she was displaying. Sandra Bland/Place of birth. Even though trooper Brian Encinia had been on the job for about a year, the records give a glimpse of his background. USA TODAY reached out to several Facebook users who shared the postsfor comment. "When these kinds of things continue to occur, it's very very hard for families to heal, for the world to heal. Five years after Bland's death, accountability in her case is something Sandra's sister says the family still awaits. In the podcast Texas Standard, Jim Harrington, director of the Texas Civil Rights Project, says that Encinia had no legal authority to order Bland to put out her cigarette or to exit her car. More: George Floyd. The defense team for Brian Encinia, the then-DPS trooper who arrested Sandra Bland, may ask for the trial to be moved outside Waller County. All we know is that he is not active on any social media platforms. "We all need each other. Container: FLAC (tracks) Quality: Hi-Fi, lossless audio Sample Rate: 44100 Hz / 16 bit, Stereo Source: CD Album Artist/Name: Brian Eno - Rams - Original Soundtrack Album Genre: Ambient Release Date: 2020 www publisher: hd24bit.com ArtWork: not included I think its really unfortunate that he would continue to pervert his version of events, said attorney Cannon Lambert. Her death was ruled a suicide. told the Huffington Posts Michael McLaughlin, Maintained by Center for American Progress - Action Fund. Black males accounted for 22 percent of all people shot and killed in 2017, yet they are 6 percent of the total population. Gary Hershorn, who spent more than 30 years as a photographyeditor for Reuters, said it would be easy to alterBland's eyes fromthe official mugshot to make them appear to roll back. Bryan has the knack to jump right into any coding language and become an expert extremely fast. The traffic stop quickly escalated and Bland was arrested. Who was the Texas state trooper that pulled over Sandra Bland? Bland had driven through a stop sign as she left the Prairie View A&M campus, but the trooper admitted he was unsure if it was on private or public property. As of recent reports, he is . A Texas grand jury has opted to indict Brian Encinia, the Texas state trooper who arrested Sandra Bland three days before her July death, and charge him with perjury. Brian Encinia, charged with perjury in the arrest of Sandra Bland, has turned himself in to authorities and is now out on bail. If her video helps someone get there, all the better. For many Black Americans, these deaths and others have caused lasting trauma. I'm angry," Sandra Bland's sister, Shante Needham, told the I-Team. I knew something was wrong, but I didnt know what was wrong. DeSantis said board members want to see Disney be "what Walt envisioned." Speakers invited by the governor's office to speak at Monday's news conference railed against Disney's . We are all in this together. Im sure many people would rather not bring Sandra Bland back up again. Encinia was eventually charged, but only with perjurya decision that sparked further outrage. "When the incident happened with George Floyd, it broke me down. . Sandra Bland should still be alive. . DPS fired him in 2016. The Texas Department of Public Safety recently released its investigation into the death of Sandra Bland in the Waller County jail in 2015. 6 Things We Know About Brian Encinia, The Texas Trooper Who Arrested Sandra Bland. As USA TODAY reported in 2015, video from the Waller County jail provedBland was alive while her mugshots were taken. "But I pray for them and I just pray for better days for America because America is messed up right now.". Sandra Bland. Those who believe that addressing police violence should be part of the ongoing conversation about criminal justice reform will likely be looking to the individuals hoping to replace Trump to provide solutions to a problem that continues to plague communities nationwide. Offers may be subject to change without notice. "It is a threat to all police officers in the state of Texas of a runaway grand jury or a rogue prosecutor deciding to . WATCH: Dashcam video of Sandra Bland traffic stop. The decision to fire Brian Encinia, the Texas state trooper who arrested Sandra Bland, was upheld by the Texas Department of Public Safety, a news release says. Kelley got to the scene too late to see exactly what happened between Encinia and Bland during the key moments off a dash-cam video where the two are out of frame and Bland says hes knocked her head against the pavement. The story of Sandra Bland, the 28-year-old who was found dead in a Texas jail cell earlier this month, was given . "I'm over it. Once in handcuffs and placed on the the ground, the violator stated that she has epilepsy. This case should be reopened and justice should finally be served., Nina Turner, co-chair of the presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), called the video gut-wrenching and unacceptable.. Trooper Encinia did not follow the seven step violator contact by not telling the violator what action that he was going to take. Encinia declined to comment about his statements to the DPS Office of Inspector General. "This case now represents much more than Brian Encinia," Lewis said. She studied print journalism at the University of Houston and French at the University of Paris-Sorbonne in France. Sandra Bland's name appeared with others on t-shirts and signs at Black Lives Matter protests. And I previously wrote how South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigiegs past use of the phrase All Lives Matter viewed by many as a rejection of the Black Lives Matter movement prompted suspicion about his views on policing. A . It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. But Encinia said he didnt know what he was arresting Bland for but would come up with something, Kelley says. The Texas Department of Public Safety laterfired Encinia for escalating the situation during the traffic stop. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Sandra Bland Tragedy: 7 Things to Know About Her Life and Death. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy, TinEye Reverse Image Search, accessed June 18. I still did have a concern for the area of her control that I didnt know what was there, but I do agree that things couldve been done differently, said Encinia, when asked if he could have de-escalated the situation by telling Bland she was only being given a warning for the traffic violation. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Amplifying Black voices through news that matters. But the lack of an indictment is a strong indicator that Encinia won't get his day in court. ", Encinia wrote in a report that Bland had become combative and was swinging and kicking at him. Three days later, Bland was found dead in jail, of an apparent suicide. Six officers in Whittier, CA, sued for similar reasons there over a year ago. I'm angry that my sister passed five years ago and they are still killing us. https://t.co/YjgKMNDGKV, A ticket for a FAILURE TO SIGNAL lead to #SandraBlands death at the hands of police. A Waller County judge is expected to issue an arrest warrant for Encinia in the coming days. Now, newly released audio recordings show former Texas Department of Safety Trooper Brian Encinia claims he feared for his own personal safety after pulling over Sandra Bland, a28-year-old black woman, in Waller County on July 21, 2015. And Kelleys testimony that she had a head wound at the scene might have influenced the grand jury process that ultimately only rung Encinia up on perjury charges. It's all in the hands of law enforcement.". You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. He has 15 days . after she refuses to get out of her car. (May 7), George Floyd. Corrections officers in upstate New York were caught lying about the circumstances of inmate Leonard Stricklands death in 2010. Former Texas Department of Safety Trooper Brian Encinia said he feared for his personal safety after pulling over Sandra Bland in Waller County on July 21, 2015. (Designed by Jos Dennis/Community Impact Newspaper). Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Sign Up for Daily News & Breaking News Newsletters, Sign up for Digging Deep: Inside KXAN Investigates newsletter. Tweets and Facebook posts with the claim have been shared tens of thousands of times. Prairie View, TX, police officer Michael Kelley says that a local prosecutor and police officials suppressed facts about Blands initial arrest while investigating Brian Encinia, the man who actually cuffed and booked Bland. Who is Brian Encinia? Dash cam video shows Encinia, who later claimed that he was attempting to safely conduct a traffic investigation, threatening to use his taser, saying that he was going to light up Bland. Did they not watch the video? I think he knows what happened. Students Suffer. Im too furious to add anything else constructive at the moment. Although this issue has not dominated the news in recent weeks, it remains a major problem. And even though we are seeing it live on the worldwide web, officers are not being held accountable.". Waller County officials released video that shows Bland alive as her mugshot wastaken. He arrested her for assault on a public servant. As for the former Texas state trooper who arrested Bland, the I-Team was unable to find current contact information for Brian Encinia. Waller County District Judge Albert . For now, he remains employed by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Trooper Encinia stated that he understood. The hacker group Anonymous stoked the flames of conspiracywhen itreleased a video claiming law enforcement officials murdered Bland during the traffic stop and took mugshot photos of her body to cover their tracks. . The charge against Brian Encinia was dropped after he agreed to surrender his state law enforcement . Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. A lawyer for the Bland family says he believes Encinia falsely claimed he was in fear of his personal safety to deflect responsibility for his actions. Brian Encinia, the Texas state trooper who arrested Sandra Bland during a contentious traffic stop, has been indicted on charges of perjury, accused of lying about how he removed . Joe Crystal was a rising star in the Baltimore Police Department until he blew the whistle on fellow cops who had covered up a brutal beating of a handcuffed suspect, and was hounded out of the department. I unequivocally state that he never approached me, my first assistant, or any member of my staff with any such information, Mathis wrote to the Houston Chronicle. Needham said grassroots movements across the country pushing for police reform give her hope, but she continues to have lay-it-on-the-line conversations with her two sons about interacting with officers. If convicted, Encinia could face up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. "Like, how many more? Both incriminating details were removed from Kelleys incident report before it was officially filed, the officer says. Blands death drew outrage from people concerned with police violence against Black Americans. Sandra Bland. The images aired Monday night marked the first time that most people had seen the traffic encounter as Ms. The Texas Department of Public Safety released a statement announcing that Encinia would be placed on indefinite desk duty for violations of department protocols on July 17, four days after Bland was found dead in her Waller County jail cell. A pair of officers in Chicago who helped federal officials catch a network of corrupt and abusive cops operating in one of the citys housing projects later said in December that they had been retaliated against by colleagues. Encinia's future seems up in the air, and as developments in the case proceed over the next few years, it's possible that he could still face criminal charges. Lawyers for Blands family have argued that Encinia did not have grounds for the arrest and escalated the confrontation. When Chicago cops killed Laquan McDonald in late 2014, the official story was that the knife-wielding teenager had lunged at officers who fired in self-defense. That's not justice for me," Reed-Veal said. Yesterday afternoon, the grand jury, who declined to chargeany of the officers involved in Blands death, delivered the indictment. Brian Encinia. In order for families, and the world, to begin to even trust law enforcement, there has to be accountability," she said. He got recognition from people after he arrested Sandra Bland who was hanged three days after this arrest. Skepticism of official narratives about Bland's death has persisted online for years. Police said Blanddiedby suicidein her jail cellthree days later. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our The four Minneapolis police officers involved in Floyd's death were fired and are awaiting trial. 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