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Footage from Sandra Bland’s July 10 arrest has been released by Texas law enforcement authorities. But famed director Ava DuVernay and others on social media are saying the video has definitely been edited and are questioning why.
The nearly 50 minute long video recorded from the police car dashcam shows a police officer pull over Bland, a 28-year-old activist, for failing to signal a turn. The officer asks her to put out her cigarette, and when she refuses, he threatens to pull her out of her car. It appears that he attempts to pull her out and tells her she is under arrest, but after she resists and he draws his stun gun, she exits the vehicle on her own.
The officer then tells her to move to an area that happens to be off camera as she shouts expletives at him. He puts handcuffs on her, and Bland then yells, “you’re about to break my wrist, can you stop?” She is then heard sobbing, and shortly after, there are sounds of a scuffle.
Bland says, “You just slammed me, knocked my head into the ground, I got epilepsy you mother f—–.”
The officer replies, “good.”
According to reports, Bland was found dead three days after her arrest due to being hanged in her jail cell.
Viewers of the video noticed that after the 25-minute mark, there are strange signs of editing, such as a car popping up in the middle of the screen and the same cars driving by, while the audio of the conversation of the officer reporting the incident continues to play without any editing.
“The video has not been edited,” said Tom Vinger, spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety. He added that the strange visuals are a result of the video being “affected in the upload and is being addressed.” Vinger said that the department is planning to upload another version of the video.
Selma director Ava DuVernay sent out tweets stating that as someone who regularly edits videos, she can tell that the footage had been tampered with.
“I edit footage for a living. But anyone can see that this official video has been cut,” she wrote.
DuVernay added, “Glitches. Motion sensors. Clouds. Reasons from those who say SandraBland vid is pristine. Doesn’t explain loops + audio cuts. But, um, OK.”
Others took to social media to express their concern about the footage.
Additionally, a picture of the deceased woman’s mugshot has been released, and some are saying that Bland not only looks as if she is lying down in the photo, but she appears to be dead.
