Officials Release Sandra Bland Jail Footage to Address Theories About Her Death
— -- Texas officials released new footage of Sandra Bland in the county jail where she remained for three days until her death, showing her talking to officers, facing a magistrate judge, sleeping in a holding cell and making multiple phone calls.
One clip from the day after her arrest shows a seemingly upset Bland in her orange jumpsuit make multiple phone calls from the jailer's phone. As she makes calls she used a tissue to wipe her eyes.
Waller County Judge Carbett Duhon said he released the footage because of threats related to Bland's death, which caused an uproar and to address theories that she was dead prior to her mug shot being taken. Bland was found hanged from a plastic trash bag in her cell on July 13, three days after she was pulled over for a traffic infraction.
County officials said that Bland spent about 22 minutes making calls after she made multiple requests to use the phone. They said it was possible she was leaving voicemails. In one voicemail she was heard telling a friend that she did not know how a traffic stop turned into time in jail.
County officials said that the numbers she called were being retrieved as part of the investigation into her death.
Waller County Judge Carbett Duhon walked reporters through the videos of Bland during the three days at the county jail before she was found dead in her cell.
Initial video showed Bland at the jail wearing the same dress as the one she wore during the arrest.
Other video showed Bland waiting around for hours in a holding cell before she was booked and had her mug shot taken.
Duhon pointed out that Bland had been asleep for hours before her picture was taken that Friday. On Saturday Bland is shown facing a judge to have her bond determined. In the video she stands facing a judge with her hands clasped in front of her answering questions.
An autopsy released indicated that Bland committed suicide and did not show any signs of a struggle that would be associated with a violent death.
But her family has called for a Department of Justice investigation and ordered an independent autopsy.
Dash cam footage released of the arrest shows a heated confrontation between her and the officer before she was taken into custody.
Questions have been raised about what occurred after her arrest as well.
Sheriff's officials said that Bland told jailers that she was "fine" just hours before her death.
A jail intake form indicated that she had tried to commit suicide at some point in 2014 or 2015 after she lost a baby, but also said that she was not suicidal on the day she was taken into jail.
