Sandra Bland was a 28-year-old Foundational Black American woman who died under suspicious circumstances in Texas while in police custody. 

​

Sandra Bland’s death resulted from what should have been a routine traffic stop for a minor infraction. Within minutes of trooper Robert Ensinia pulling her over for failing to signal a lane change, the trooper escalated to using force after Bland asked why she was told to put out her cigarette. She was arrested for assaulting a public official resulting in her detainment and tragic death three days later.

 

According to the HBO documentary “Say Her Name” there are no pictures of Sandra Bland hanging from her cell by a trash bag, nor is there any video footage of her present in her cell while in custody. The trash bag she was allegedly hung from also didn’t contain her fingerprints or DNA on it according to the documentary.

​

The HBO documentary also reports the jail time logs were falsified and do not accurately reflect jail guards checking on Ms. Bland every hour like they should have been.

​

Officially ruled a suicide, her case raised urgent questions about police conduct, jail protocols, and systemic racism. The aftermath included investigations, a settlement, jail reforms, and her legacy continues to influence the movement for justice and accountability.

​

According to her attorney Cannon Lambert  “until we have concrete answers about the time of her death and whether or not that death could have been caused by someone other than her, all options (regarding her death) are on the table, they have to be."

 

​