Sandra Bland’s death is now being looked at as a possible murder, according to Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis. While the initial autopsy report ruled the death as a suicide by hanging with a plastic bag, Mathis said the murder investigation will go to the grand jury in August.
On Tuesday, police dash cam footage of the arrest was released to the public. Bland was pulled over in Prairie View, Texas, in a routine traffic stop on July 10 by a state trooper from the Texas Department of Public Safety for failing to signal when changing lanes. The state trooper ran Bland’s information and returned to her car with a written warning. He asked Bland to put out her cigarette, to which Bland questioned, “I’m in my car. Why do I have to put out my cigarette”
This is when the officer asked Bland to step out of her car, but Bland refused, insisting that he didn’t have the right to ask her. But he quickly became agitated, threatening to “yank” Bland out of the car. As the two engaged in a verbal altercation, he opened the door and leaned inside, although what he did in the car is unseen. He then pointed his Taser at her and said, “I am gonna drag you out of here I will light you up.”
