Woman's death while in custody at a Texas jail under investigation | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Friday 17 July 2015

Woman's death while in custody at a Texas jail under investigation

On Friday, 28-year-old Sandra Bland, a police accountability activist, was was pulled over by a Texas police officer for failing to use her turn signal before changing lanes. Three days later, she was found dead, hanging in her jail cell.

She was arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer during a traffic stop on Friday but by Monday she was found dead by hanging in her jail cell.


The sheriff’s office is maintaining that the woman committed suicide, but many, including her family, are categorically refusing this official story, especially after a witness’ video of her arrest was released online.
"You just slammed my head into the ground. Do you not even care about that? I can't even hear!" Bland is heard saying in the video.
"You slammed me into the ground and everything," she repeats as the officers take her into custody.
Bland, who is described as having been a happy and strong woman, was arrested for assaulting a police officer, despite video showing that she was the one who was assaulted.

"She informed me she had been arrested. She said they couldn't tell her what she had been arrested for until an hour before she had called. She then proceeded to say the officer had put his knees in her back and that she thought her shoulder was broken," her sister, Shante Needham, told ABC. "She said her bond was $515. And I told her that I would work on getting her out."

Bland was outspoken against police brutality and racism faced by people of color in the United States.  She had recently moved to Texas to begin a job as a college outreach officer.
"I will admit it is strange someone who had everything going for her would have taken her own life," Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis said. "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," he said.
But with police brutality and racism in such sharp focus in the US and amidst the rise of citizens videotaping their encounters with police, a practice that’s revealing more and more inconsistencies with official police accounts, it is no wonder that many are skeptical of the official story.

"The family of Sandra Bland is confident that she was killed and did not commit suicide. The family has retained counsel to investigate Sandy's death,” a statement from a law firm representing her family stated.  The statement also asked Twitter users to use the hashtag #JusticeForSandra "so that our family can get justice for her."

Twitter community has fuelled the conversation about circumstances surrounding Bland's death. #SandraBland has almost 200,000 mentions on Twitter. The hashtags #JusticeforSandy and #SandySpeaks are also being widely used to share stories about a death that many say "doesn't add up".
"Who goes on a job interview, gets hired, and commits suicide in a jail cell after being arrested [sic] for a routine traffic stop?" @stopbeingfamous tweeted.

Another Twitter user talking about Bland's death is Bianca Davis, who attended university with Bland.
"My sorority sister Sandy Bland died in police custody! Spread the Word!" she tweeted, gaining more than 500 retweets.
"The authorities can't pass her off, say she was gang member or a drug dealer. She was an educated African woman who had goals and dreams - she was a productive citizen," Davis said, noting that Bland was passionate both about social justice and her Christian faith.
"Now this young woman is dead, and they are trying to call it a suicide. But those who knew her know she wasn't that type of person".
Even more eyebrows have been being raised after the Daily Kos reported that Waller County Sheriff Glenn Smith, who made the first public comments about Bland's in-custody death, was suspended for documented cases of racism when he was chief of police in Hempstead, Texas, in 2007. After serving his suspension, more complaints of racism came in, and Smith was fired as their chief of police.

The FBI is now coordinating with local police to investigate Bland’s death.
The day after Bland was found dead in her Texas jail cell, 18-year-old Kindra Darnell Chapman also reportedly hanged herself inside a jail cell in Alabama.  The teen was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly stealing a cell phone and was booked around 6:22 AM. She was found unresponsive at 7:50, after reportedly hanging herself with a bed sheet. Chapman was pronounced dead at the hospital.





NBC

35 comments:

LIB chairlady said...

Lindodo sleep make you rest abeg... Love You

NaijaDeltaBabe said...

May her soul rest in peace

STERN said...

Trust me these white cops are never gona admit they killed her. They hate we blacks. If you fall into their trap, you need the grace of God to come out peacefully. Look at how they just killed this black innocent lady.

Unknown said...

Really sad, they arrested her alive. They should produce her alive.

Unknown said...

hi friend :)

gentle said...

America and racism. Our african leaders should upgrade our countries please so we have somewhere to fall back on. These black americans are the ones I pity because the only place they know is America.

Anonymous said...

Sweet Linda, don't u sleep? Plz oo go Ave some rest, cannt afford anything apen to u

Fibonnachi Omogbai

Anonymous said...

Bcos she is black, dey should investigate oo

Fibonnachi OMogbai

henryoguadimma@gmail.com said...

plZ let them thoroughly investigate this case

Unknown said...

Rip

Unknown said...

I also smell foul play.. But may her soul RIP

Unknown said...

Nothing person no go hear

umoh Linda said...

I don't believe dis story too, dis pple don't like blacks as so d can do anything to get rid of dem wit d slightest opportunity..

umoh Linda said...

I don't believe dis story too, dis pple don't like blacks as so d can do anything to get rid of dem wit d slightest opportunity..

Unknown said...

And obama is there approving/signing gay law bills.. When there are more pressing and important issues at hand. Wonder wen rascism will ever stop

Unknown said...

I smelll foul play, racial killings by police officers meant 2 protect civilian, wen would all this stop?? Nd d american government ar doin little or nothing 2 arrest d situation, RIP ma...

Unknown said...

Nah wao. Dis kind story e havy for mouth. If u ask me D mater for grand na who I go ask.............

Anonymous said...

Systematic genocide...

Unknown said...

Dirty Cops everywhere.
The fools took their pound of flesh.

Mihearty said...

I thought it's only in nigeria shit like this happen. They should go on and investigate so that justice will be done. RIP

Unknown said...

RIP sister. That's the price for being black.

Anonymous said...

These bastards are killing black people. These states are core racist states that used the string up black folk and resisted the abolition of slavery. May they all meet their waterloo.

I B M bolubantin said...

So sad...
May her soul Rest In Peace

Unknown said...

Police brutality and racism is suppose to be the main thing Obama should fight against not homosexuality.

AC£S said...

RIP...hope justice prevail

Anonymous said...

Those American racist devils are taking black lives in America.

Unknown said...

Eeeeeeeeeyah! May her soul rest in peace. I hope she gets justice. Linda take note!

Unknown said...

Eeeeeeeeeyah! May her soul rest in peace. I hope she gets justice. Linda take note!

Unknown said...

Police is same all over the world. I use to love the profession a lot, but the way those guys snuff life out of defenceless people is #scaring me

Anonymous said...

Sometimes people criticize law enforcement too quickly. It is very possible she committed suicide. So some people think the Officers went into her cell and hung her? The first 72 hours are very critical for first timers in Jail. Yes, l have seen a few people commit suicide in Jail. Could we have saved them? No. Why? There are often times 64 inmates to one Officer. You do your rounds every hour. You cannot be in every cell at the same time. When someone is bent on taking their own life, it is very hard to stop them. I know a guy who was very excited the whole day. He played card games with his friends. When the Officer was going on his dinner break, he waved and yelled, "bye, enjoy your dinner break" The Officer thought nothing of that. Exactly half hour later, the Officer returned to his unit and called help. We cut the sheet he had braided to hang himself and performed CPR till medical staff and the Fire Department arrived but it was too late. His Mom said he had attempted suicide about twenty times. These things happen but no one was in her head hearing the voices she was hearing. May she rest in the bosom of our Lord. My Co-Worker took his life three days ago. There are over five hundred Officers in my Department. Over eight Captains, Twenty Sergeants, Two Majors, Two Commanders, etc not one of us EVER suspected he was suicidal. These things are hard to explain. Rest in peace Officer B.C. The families should hang tight. Please, cry out for help. Reach out to people if you need help. Time heals all wounds.

Anonymous said...

Thank you oga police officer. U people are the most corrupt in the society. Oh i see those voices did not tell her to commit sucide before,abi? Didn't u read what her job description was? Someone like that am sure would be used to so many things and i do not believe that 2 days would make a strong woman like that,commit sucide.

The fashion engineer said...

Well this woman was clearly assaulted before she was put in jail ..its only normal to assume something fishy went down
It's also very possible she commuted suicide but I bet that assault triggered it

Anonymous said...

@0931. Ignorance is a problem. I guess you haven't heard of a big time top notch Psychologist in one of the states that committed suicide. Very well respected. Who knew? It's easy to blame people but no one was with her in there. I repeat. The first 72 hours are v e ry critical for first timers during incarceration. When people get locked up in a Jail cell, you see your whole world crashing. So any thoughts running in their heads. You haven't been there nor seen these people first hand. Thank you for not being corrupt and holy. You see how you assumed quickly that am a Police Officer? Don't assume what you don't know.

TAMARA SPLASH said...

RIP

Anonymous said...

Linda, please don't be political. This could be anyone of us on vacation. N you don't even have to talk back at the officer. At least we have examples of that. Talk about her death. Post the video where she said she wasn't ready to kill herself. Speak up please. It's not so far. We have loved ones in America. This is going crazy. I know this one got only 34 comments. Pls write again. Thanks.

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