Five months after her July 13, 2015, death in a Waller County (Texas) jail cell, people are still wondering #WhatHappenedToSandraBland.
At noon CST today, Sandra Bland’s family and activists will gather at the Bob Casey Federal Court House in Houston ahead of a hearing in the wrongful death suit her mother filed against the Texas Department of Public Safety, Waller County, and officers Brian Encinia (who violently arrested Bland three days before her death), Elsa Magnus and Oscar Prudente. Following the rally, the family is asking participants to pack the court room for the 2 p.m. hearing in a show of support.
The hearing comes as the grand jury assigned to decide if charges should be issued for any of the officers who interacted with 28-year-old Sandra Bland continues to deliberate. ABC 7 Chicago reports that the grand jury is expected to meet again before Christmas in hopes of making a decision. Officers reported that Bland hanged herself in her cell using a plastic bag. Many find the story implausible and point to her violent arrest as a precursor to her death.
“The process has been much more complex [than] when we took on the job, and we take it very serious. We want to do the right thing to make sure justice is done,” special prosecutor Shawn McDonald told ABC 7 Chicago.