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Sandra Bland dies in Waller County, Texas Jail after being arrested on a traffic stop

Sandra Bland was pulled over for a minor traffic violation on July 10 in Prairie View, Texas and subsequently arrested following an escalating conflict between herself and the arresting office.

A police dash cam video of the traffic stop was released by the Texas Department of Public Safety on July 21. Allegations arose that parts of the video were edited. A spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety (DPS) said that irregularities in the video resulted from “technical issues” that occurred when the video was posted. The DPS then removed the first video and replaced it.

The DPS issued the following statement concerning the initial video:

“The video has not been edited. To eliminate any concerns as to the efficacy of the video DPS previously requested the FBI examine the dash cam and jail video to ensure the integrity of the video. The entire video was uploaded to include the audio and video of the conversation the trooper had by telephone with his sergeant, which occurred after the arrest. Some of the video that occurred during this conversation was affected in the upload and is being addressed.”

On July 13 while Sandra Bland was being held in the Waller County, Texas Jail she was found “in her cell not breathing from what appears to be self-inflicted asphyxiation,” a Sheriff’s Office statement said. Bland received CPR, and an ambulance was called, but she was pronounced dead a short time later.

The FBI and Texas Department of Public Safety are investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.

View traffic stop video on YouTube.

Article on wikipedia.org.

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