Chicago activist Sandra Bland appears to have died under suspicious circumstances while in police custody. According to Click 2 Houston, Bland, 28, was stopped by police in Waller County, Texas, during a routine traffic stop.
Cellphone video recently surfaced and it shows one police officer holding Bland on the ground. During the altercation, Bland can be heard saying, “You just slammed my head into the ground. I can’t even hear.”
Bland was eventually arrested and taken to the Waller County jail. She was able to get in contact with friends and was awaiting a bond hearing. However, on the morning of July 13, Bland was found unconscious and not breathing in her cell. Officials at the Waller County jail claimed that Bland died from self-asphyxiation.
But her friends and family say that Bland was very self-confident and was too excited about her future to commit suicide. A graduate of Prairie View A&M, Bland had recently moved to Texas after accepting a job at the school.
Her family and friends believe that foul play was involved and raised awareness through social media with the hashtag, #JusticeForSandy.
The call to action has prompted the Texas Rangers to get involved and they are now conducting an investigation.
