The FBI is now investigating the mysterious death of Sandra Bland in a Texas jail cell

In the wake of the mysterious death on July 13 of Sandra Bland while in police custody, the Texas Department of Public Safety has announced the FBI is now officially involved in the investigation.

The DPS initially found that one of the officers involved in the traffic stop that led to Bland’s arrest had violated department policy.

In the preliminary review of the traffic stop that occurred in Prairie View on July 10, 2015, involving Sandra Bland, we have identified violations of the department’s procedures regarding traffic stops and the department’s courtesy policy.

Pending the outcome of the Texas Ranger and FBI investigation into this incident, the employee involved has been assigned administrative duties. At the conclusion of this investigation, any violations of protocols will be addressed.

There were reportedly, no cameras in Bland’s cell, but District Attorney Elton Mathis said during a press conference that cameras placed outside the cell didn’t show anyone entering or leaving in the hour before she was discovered dead.

“At no point in the video does it appear that anyone goes into that cell and harms her in any way,” Mathis said. “It appears she had used a trash bag to hang herself from a partition in the ceiling, which was used to give inmates privacy.”

From ColorLines.com:

On Thursday, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards cited Waller County Jail—where Bland was held—for not properly monitoring a suicidal inmate and for poor training in handling potentially suicidal and mentally ill inmates. Officers are supposed to personally observe people who been arrested once an hour. And if Bland had presented as suicidal, they should have checked on her every 30 minutes. Waller County Jail was cited in 2012 when an inmate used a sheet to hang himself.

Watch video of Bland’s arrest below:

Featured image via Photography Is Not A Crime

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *