Exclusive: Sandra Bland's co-inmate recalls conversation before death

Exclusive: Sandra Bland's co-inmate recalls conversation before death

This inmate was in a cell across the hall from Sandra Bland:

Over the next three days, the two women communicated through the rectangular opening of the jail cell doors.

She does not believe Ms. Bland was mistreated or murdered

A second woman who was also incarcerated with them agrees:

"Sandra Bland was in there for something she didn't deserve to be in there for, and I think that's what everyone needs to focus on," she said. "As far as the guards there in the jail, they were really nice. They just did their job."

Both women said the stop itself should be the focus of the investigation (and our outrage). According to what these women have said, Ms. Bland was very distraught that someone who had promised to be there within hours to bail her out never showed up. Could she have felt abandoned and forsaken, hence committing suicide? I don't know. Just trying to consider the possibilities.

Apparently, the Supreme Court agrees that Ms. Bland did not deserve to be "in there."

And the Sheriff seems to question the arrest as well:

In an interview Wednesday, Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis said he is investigating whether Mr. Encinia violated any criminal laws. “I didn’t like what I saw when I saw the video of the trooper’s actions, but I’ll reserve judgment,” Mr. Mathis said.

And it seems a new video, from a new angle, without audio, has been released:

New dash cam video shows different angle of Sandra Bland stop

I don't have any deep thoughts on Ms. Bland's death, other than it's a tragedy in any circumstance. I am more concerned about the initial stop and arrest, which is definitely a problem.

I find no reason to suspect that she was murdered.

The stop was warranted as she clearly didn't use her turn signal.

Making her get out of the car for no other reason than refusing to put her cigarette out in her own vehicle was NOT warranted.

Her refusing to get out of the vehicle and swinging on the cop when he tried to remove her was stupid.

I think it would be nice to out the person responsible for the photo. It's a very odd angle to take, wonder just wonder who or whom would benefit.

originally posted by: Bone75
I find no reason to suspect that she was murdered.

The stop was warranted as she clearly didn't use her turn signal.

Making her get out of the car for no other reason than refusing to put her cigarette out in her own vehicle was NOT warranted.

Her refusing to get out of the vehicle and swinging on the cop when he tried to remove her was stupid.

You summed that up very well -- Thank you!

I agree. They both could/should have behaved better. If we ask for trouble, we usually get it -- rightly or wrongly.

There may be an argument to be made that the jail should have taken more care to make sure that she could not harm herself. I would be willing to listen and consider that argument, but anyone committing suicide holds the ultimate responsibility for their act.

originally posted by: Rosinitiate
I think it would be nice to out the person responsible for the photo. It's a very odd angle to take, wonder just wonder who or whom would benefit.

Indeed. I know a female backup officer was called and came. Could it be from her vehicle?

a reply to: Boadicea

I'm sure inmates always tell the truth and are never coerced or threatened by their keepers.

/sarc

Chances that somebody will be along shortly casting aspersions on this woman and talking about how "they got to her?"

Pretty high, I'll bet.

Good on her to come forward, and I whole heartedly agree with her opinion on what the focus needs to be on, which is her bogus arrest and the officer's behavior during the arrest.

And also agree that whomever doctored that photo needs to be "discovered" because that was absolutely shameful.

a reply to: Bone75

She didn't swing at the cop she jerked away. She asserted her rights all along and the cop failed at every turn to follow the law. He wrongfully arrested her there was no wrong doing on her part aside from failure to signal. Even if she took her own life, a lot went wrong on the authority side.

Wrongful arrest.
Arresting officer lied multiple times in his report.
Improper monitoring of a person who stated she had been suicidal in the past.
Trash can with liner in her cell.

originally posted by: Kali74
a reply to: Bone75

She didn't swing at the cop she jerked away.

This is the only part of your post I'll dispute, I agree with everything else.

In the original dashcam video you can clearly see through her rear windshield that she is swinging. Even if she did just jerk away, that was still a stupid move. She should've just gotten out of the car.

a reply to: Bone75

She most certainly was not. She was pulling her arms away so the cop couldn't pull her out of the car.

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: Boadicea

I'm sure inmates always tell the truth and are never coerced or threatened by their keepers.

/sarc

Point well taken. Snitches get stitches, right?

I'm one of those people who firmly believes in the inalienable right to life; so if someone is dead, the first priority is determining if that life was taken by another. But I haven't seen any reason to accuse anyone of taking Ms. Bland's life. Neglect may be an issue though.

Hopefully time will tell. If someone else caused Ms. Bland's death, throw the book at them.

If I've missed something, please share.

Yeah once a cop tells you to get out, you gotta get out whether its right or wrong, file a report later. That is how it works.

I think she could have been murdered in jail.

a reply to: Boadicea

I have to admit that my opinions on this case have changed over the past few days.

While it's absolutely clear to me that this woman should not have been arrested, and she definitely should not have been detained, I have a feeling there is more to this in relation to her family and he state of mind, but I still want those cops investigated to the absolute limits and people held to account.

I could argue for days about how she was mistreated, how they failed to protect and care for someone in their custody, how they seemingly manipulated information and how they have seemingly tried to obstruct justice, but that's not going to change anything.

It has to be considered that she was distraught about her family basically showing absolutely no interest in helping her. It's clear from the phone records that she tried to reach out to them, and it seems she got no response. That is in itself indicative of their relationship. I don't want to cast blame where it might not be due, but if you were in a jail cell for three days and not one of your family bothered to pick up the phone or return a call, wouldn't you be f-ing upset?

This whole case opens up a bigger discussion though, the fact that police across the US are so distrusted they have absolutely no credibility. Even though my opinions on this case might have changed and become more questioning, I still entirely believe that officers and officials there have done everything they could to cover their own behinds and each others.

I still entirely believe that even if she did indeed take her own life after none of her family could be bothered to try to help her for three days, the police still colluded and conspired to alter the story and remove any responsibility from themselves.

It's a sad situation, and it deserves full investigation, but the bigger story here is that unless something dramatic is done to repair this relationship, police across the USA will only see trust in them eroding further and further.

Where does that lead? That's anyones guess, but I doubt it will be pretty. Right now it seems as though a single event could kick off something incredibly damaging nationally. Right now all it would take is one Rodney King video and the entire country could spiral out into something extremely violent.

And who is to blame for that?
I would say blame lies at the feet of every government official who has absolutely refused to confront the issue of police brutality and institutional racism for the last 50 years.

originally posted by: Kali74
a reply to: Bone75

She most certainly was not. She was pulling her arms away so the cop couldn't pull her out of the car.

Fair enough... still stupid.

originally posted by: NerdGoddess
Yeah once a cop tells you to get out, you gotta get out whether its right or wrong, file a report later. That is how it works.

Nope, wrong.
You do not have to follow unreasonable instructions and if a police officer orders you to do something you have a right to question that request and demand explanation for it.

Nothing about what she did that day justified the overzealous response and actions of that police officer. He was nothing more than just another arrogant, power-mad, authoritarian, ignorant bully who likes wearing a uniform for the control and authority he imagines it gives him over other people.

a reply to: Boadicea

But I haven't seen any reason to accuse anyone of taking Ms. Bland's life.

Really? Didn't the initial encounter of her arrest set the stage the kind of treatment that she would receive for the next 3 days? Do you think that once she was stripped searched (raped) that the subjugation and abuse stopped? Do you think she finally shut up about suing, and became a model prisoner, once she was behind bars?

I don't. Not for one minute.

originally posted by: Rocker2013
a reply to: Boadicea

I have to admit that my opinions on this case have changed over the past few days.

While it's absolutely clear to me that this woman should not have been arrested, and she definitely should not have been detained, I have a feeling there is more to this in relation to her family and he state of mind, but I still want those cops investigated to the absolute limits and people held to account.

Absolutely. I have no reason to believe Ms. Bland was murdered, but once she was (wrongly) taken into custody, there was a level of responsibility for her well-being that was grossly neglected. I'm not the one to competently make that argument, but I'm sure someone can.

I could argue for days about how she was mistreated, how they failed to protect and care for someone in their custody, how they seemingly manipulated information and how they have seemingly tried to obstruct justice, but that's not going to change anything.

And this is exactly why it is so easy and common to believe the worst when law enforcement is involved. No one wants to think the worst of any cops, much less all of them. But when it comes down to it, law enforcement makes it them vs. us.

It has to be considered that she was distraught about her family basically showing absolutely no interest in helping her. It's clear from the phone records that she tried to reach out to them, and it seems she got no response. That is in itself indicative of their relationship. I don't want to cast blame where it might not be due, but if you were in a jail cell for three days and not one of your family bothered to pick up the phone or return a call, wouldn't you be f-ing upset?

Yes. It hurts my heart. I can only imagine how much more it hurt hers. And from what I've read, it seems she had a huge heart, that she gave much of herself to others, to making the world a little better. It always seems to me that those who love the most are also the ones who hurt the most.

This whole case opens up a bigger discussion though, the fact that police across the US are so distrusted they have absolutely no credibility. Even though my opinions on this case might have changed and become more questioning, I still entirely believe that officers and officials there have done everything they could to cover their own behinds and each others.

Ding! Ding! Ding!!! ^^^That's the truth.

It's a sad situation, and it deserves full investigation, but the bigger story here is that unless something dramatic is done to repair this relationship, police across the USA will only see trust in them eroding further and further.

Where does that lead? That's anyones guess, but I doubt it will be pretty. Right now it seems as though a single event could kick off something incredibly damaging nationally. Right now all it would take is one Rodney King video and the entire country could spiral out into something extremely violent.

And who is to blame for that?
I would say blame lies at the feet of every government official who has absolutely refused to confront the issue of police brutality and institutional racism for the last 50 years.

I agree wholeheartedly. People can only take their abuse and battery so long. And as more and more people understand that our protectors are becoming our abusers, the tension... the fear... the outrage... it all grows proportionately. Law enforcement created this problem. If law enforcement doesn't fix it, it will blow up on them. On all of us.

(I know this ended up being very long and I apologize. But everything you said was so spot on that I couldn't bring myself to delete any of it in my response! That's okay though. It bears repeating.)

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: Boadicea

But I haven't seen any reason to accuse anyone of taking Ms. Bland's life.

Really?

Yes, really. Do you have a name? Or names? Have you heard anyone accuse -- or even suggest -- that any specific person did anything to her while she was in jail? If so, please share. If not, please understand that it's no better to accuse and persecute an innocent person for murder just because someone died under less than clear circumstances.

Who do you want to put in jail? Or execute? Who can you point a finger at and say, "They did it!" And then prove it in a court of law.

Didn't the initial encounter of her arrest set the stage the kind of treatment that she would receive for the next 3 days?

No, it did not. The initial encounter told us much about that one cop... no one else.

Do you think that once she was stripped searched (raped) that the subjugation and abuse stopped? Do you think she finally shut up about suing, and became a model prisoner, once she was behind bars?

I have very little information about what did or did not happen once she was jailed. I posted what I have, and it does not indicate any kind of abuse from her jailers. What do you have? My OPINION is based on what I know, not what I can imagine. If further evidence shows otherwise, including the autopsy report, then my opinion will change with the known facts. Until then, I will not be accusing anyone of murder just because it soothes my outrage.

I don't. Not for one minute.

Obviously.

a reply to: Boadicea

The initial encounter told us much about that one cop... no one else.

The initial encounter revealed the culture of thin blue line. The doctored video tape that was released and the subsequent lies that were revealed also leave a trail of suspicion. Not to mention the video from the jail also casts suspicion on the jail staff.

I think you're extremely naive or ignorant to the well documented widespread abuses that occur in throughout the prison system. To imagine that Sandra Bland was treated with respect by kind jailers is a fantasy.