On the Death of Sandra Bland: A Case of Anger and Indifference

Abstract

Trooper Brian Encinia conducted a traffic stop on Ms. Sandra Bland in Prairie View, Texas, on July 10, 2015. Ms. Bland was not cooperative. She swung her fist at him. Trooper Encinia verbally escalated the situation. He arrested her. She struggled with him outside of her vehicle. She was taken into custody and charged with a felony. She was taken to the Waller County Jail. The jail staff ignored both her history of depression and numerous cut marks on her arm. The jail staff did not place her on suicide watch. She could not raise her bail. Ms. Bland rolled a plastic trash can liner into a noose and hung herself in the cell. She was pronounced dead on July 13, 2015. Larger issues concerning de-escalation in police–citizen encounters and jail suicide are also examined.