Was Brian Encinia scared during Sandra Bland traffic stop? Over a year after Sandra Bland died in police custody, an officer involved in the case is giving the world a glimpse into how the blue wall of silence works inside the law enforcement industry. The question is, how seriously can they deliver. Now, newly released audio recordings show former Texas Department of Safety Trooper Brian Encinia claims he feared for his own personal safety after pulling over Sandra Bland, a28-year-old black woman, in Waller County on July 21, 2015. Lawyers for Blands family have argued that Encinia did not have grounds for the arrest and escalated the confrontation. Bland, a 28-year-old Black woman, was arrestedin July 2015 for allegedly assaulting Texasstate trooper Brian Enciniaduringa traffic stop. I also advised him to be mindful of comments that may come across as rude when he is dealing with the public. subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. The Texas Department of Public Safety released a statement announcing that Encinia would be placed on indefinite desk duty for violations of department protocols on July 17, four days after Bland was found dead in her Waller County jail cell. I didnt know if a crime was being committed, had been committed or whatnot, said the trooper. ON NOW. She should be alive. Friday, October 30, 2020. . As part of the agreement, changes were made to procedures at the Texas jail and sensors were installed to ensure checks on detainees are accurately recorded. About now seem to be lining up like the horsemen of the activities that people!, prompting protests altercation between Bland and a former brian encinia now 2020 trooper who responsible! The charge against Brian Encinia was dropped after he agreed to surrender his state law enforcement . "I do believe that one day, I don't know in what capacity, but I do believe that my sister will get some form of justice," Needham said. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Cellphone video recorded by Sandra Bland, a black woman found dead in a Texas jail following a confrontational 2015 traffic stop, shows for the first time her perspective as a white state trooper draws his stun gun and points it at close range while ordering her out of her car HEMPSTEAD, Texas (AP) A judge dismissed a misdemeanor perjury charge against a fired Texas state trooper Wednesday in a case arising from his 2015 arrest of Sandra Bland, a black woman who was later found dead in a county jail Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Where is he now? Her friends and family vigorously denied she would have taken her life, saying suicide was "unfathomable.". | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms. Trooper Encinia appears to display rude behavior by asking the violator why she seemed irritated and then, when she quits talking, asking her if she is done. Three days later, her death in Waller County jail cell 95 was ruled a suicide. In the video, officer Brian Encinia shouts: "Get out of the car! My safety was in jeopardy at more than one time, said Encinia, during an interview with the agencys Office of Inspector General, after being askedif he was scared during the traffic stop that escalated into a physical altercation as he arrested Bland. https://t.co/YjgKMNDGKV, A ticket for a FAILURE TO SIGNAL lead to #SandraBlands death at the hands of police. Both incriminating details were removed from Kelleys incident report before it was officially filed, the officer says. "When the incident happened with George Floyd, it broke me down. When asked why he did not tell Bland why she was under arrest, Encinia said,I dont have a reason for that, no sir., Encinia denied racially profiling Bland, who was upset after being pulled over for not using her turn signal when changing lanes after the trooper raced up behind her. Still,some people felt the details of the case weretoo strange to be true. Thank you for supporting our journalism. Needham said grassroots movements across the country pushing for police reform give her hope, but she continues to have lay-it-on-the-line conversations with her two sons about interacting with officers. + A Texas grand jury decided not to hand down indictments against anyone connected to the death of Sandra Bland, including her arresting officer, Texas state trooper Brian Encinia. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Former Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Brian Encinia claimed in newly released interview recordings that he feared for his safety but could not explain . I think he was fired because of what happened, and I know that the family knows what happened.. Im sure many people would rather not bring Sandra Bland back up again. Six officers in Whittier, CA, sued for similar reasons there over a year ago. He said that because of this, "Force was used to subdue Bland to the ground, to which Bland continued to fight back.". Thats not always easy. Sandra Bland Tragedy: 7 Things to Know About Her Life and Death. Sections of the document are heavily redacted. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. We desperately need more critical thinking about the role of police and the narratives they feed us. Stories that matter delivered to your inbox. Bland's sister said there is a bond among families of Blacks killed by officers. The post includes a pictureshowing Bland in an orange jumpsuit with her eyes rolled back into her head. Former San Antonio mayor Julin Castro weighed in as well: The recently released video Sandra Bland took of her own arrest provides the latest example of a police justification for the death of an unarmed black person being revealed as a flat out lie, he wrote. The four Minneapolis police officers involved in Floyd's death were fired and are awaiting trial. Sandra Bland's own video of 2015 Texas traffic stop surfaces. Encinia's case was dropped in exchange for a promise he would never again work in law enforcement. Encinia was eventually charged, but only with perjurya decision that sparked further outrage. The Washington Post reported that the number of fatal shootings by police increased in 2018 compared to 2017, according to an ongoing Washington Post database project that tracks the fatal shootings. Brian Encinia given written counseling while a probationary trooper Texas officials say Encinia violated internal policies during traffic stop The boots of Texas Department of Public Safety. Gary Hershorn, who spent more than 30 years as a photographyeditor for Reuters, said it would be easy to alterBland's eyes fromthe official mugshot to make them appear to roll back. He completed his education at Texas A&M University. Waller County officials released video that shows Bland alive as her mugshot wastaken. This video is compelling proof that Trooper Encinia lied, that Sandra Bland posed no threat, and that there was no basis for her arrest. White males accounted for 44 percent of all fatal police shootings, and Hispanic males accounted for 18 percent.. The decision to fire Brian Encinia, the Texas state trooper who arrested Sandra Bland, was upheld by the Texas Department of Public Safety, a news release says. All we know is that he is not active on any social media platforms. | I still did have a concern for the area of her control that I didnt know what was there, but I do agree that things couldve been done differently, said Encinia, when asked if he could have de-escalated the situation by telling Bland she was only being given a warning for the traffic violation. Joe Crystal was a rising star in the Baltimore Police Department until he blew the whistle on fellow cops who had covered up a brutal beating of a handcuffed suspect, and was hounded out of the department. Who is Brian Encinia? Encinia, who also has been indicted on a criminal charge of perjury, stopped Bland for what police said was failure to signal a lane change and arrested her after a confrontation that began when he ordered her to put out her cigarette. Tweets and Facebook posts with the claim have been shared tens of thousands of times. Kellie Chauvinm. Encinia wrote in his affidavit that he had Bland exit the vehicle and handcuffed her after she became combative, and that she swung her elbows at him and kicked him in his right shin. Popular Networth. Police say Sandra Bland killed herself in jail. Trooper Encinia responded with an inappropriate comment by saying good. And they want us to trust law enforcement," Needham said. Dash cam video shows Encinia, who later claimed that he was attempting to safely conduct a traffic investigation, threatening to use his taser, saying that he was going to light up Bland. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. The story of Sandra Bland, the 28-year-old who was found dead in a Texas jail cell earlier this month, was given . Encinia said he then used force to subdue Bland to the ground, and she continued to fight back. Now.". We rate the claim that Sandra Bland was dead in her mugshot photo FALSE, based on our research. A dozen officers in New York City sued the NYPD last year alleging that they have faced retaliation from supervisors for trying to expose the continued use of quotas in the city despite department officials claims to have reformed those rules. Encinia is still assigned to administrative duty for the policy violations. Texas lawmakers passed the Sandra Bland Act in 2017. Five Democratic 2020 candidates said video of the 2015 arrest days before the woman was found dead in a cell warrants a new look at the case. FACT CHECK: . "I'm over it. As of recent reports, he is currently 34 years of age. Prairie View, TX, police officer Michael Kelley says that a local prosecutor and police officials suppressed facts about Blands initial arrest while investigating Brian Encinia, the man who actually cuffed and booked Bland. has spoken our forcefully on this issue since she launched her campaign, she has been criticized for past positions related to addressing police brutality. The Texas state trooper who arrested Sandra Bland, the motorist who days later was found hanged in a jail cell, was formally fired on Wednesday, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Five years after Bland's death, accountability in her case is something Sandra's sister says the family still awaits. In late July 2015,Waller County, Texas, officialsreleased several hours of video footage showing Bland walking around the jail and sitting for her mugshot. The new video from Sandra Bland's vantage point shows former Texas State Trooper Brian Encinia pulling a taser on her as she sat in the . . ABC7 Chicago says farewell to Meteorologist Phil Schwarz, Arrest warrant issued for top NFL Draft prospect Jalen Carter, How officials cracked case of eyedrops that blinded people. At the conclusion of this investigation, any violations of protocols will be addressed. Blands death drew outrage from people concerned with police violence against Black Americans. Bland is heard on the video crying and in distress as she repeatedly tells officers that they were hurting her and that she couldn't hear after being slammed into the ground. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. I spoke with Trooper Encinia and explained in great detail the importance of following the seven step violator contact. the I-Team was unable to find current contact information for Brian Encinia. Enough is enough," said Needham. Source Austin American-Statesman. Offers may be subject to change without notice. The confrontation ended with Encinia forcibly arresting Bland. He told me it wouldnt be good for my career, Kelley told McLaughlin, adding that Assistant District Attorney Warren Diepraam also threatened to put him beneath the jail if he went public with his story. During Bland's arrest, Encinia threatened her with a taser, as Texas state Sen. Royce West confirmed. Bland had seen it: a close-up view of the face of the state trooper, Brian T. Encinia . More: George Floyd. Bland was 28 years old. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy, TinEye Reverse Image Search, accessed June 18. Amplifying Black voices through news that matters. The newly surfaced video begins when the trooper walks back . Encinia was eventually charged, but only with perjury a decision that sparked further outrage. After Bland allegedly refused to put out her cigarette, Encinia ordered her out of the vehicle. Orta was released in May 2020 and is under court supervision until January 2022. Brian Encinia, charged with perjury in the arrest of Sandra Bland, has turned himself in to authorities and is now out on bail. We do not know exactly where he is right now in 2020. "In my opinion, Trooper Brian Encinia's actions were the . Because all I could think about was the knee in my sister's back from Officer Encinia," said Needham. The hacker group Anonymous stoked the flames of conspiracywhen itreleased a video claiming law enforcement officials murdered Bland during the traffic stop and took mugshot photos of her body to cover their tracks. We are all in this together. That's not justice for me," Reed-Veal said. Brian Encinia is an ex-state trooper in Texas. When asked what crime he believed Bland was committing, or about to commit, Encinia responded: I had a feeling that anything couldve been either retrieved or hidden within her area of control. Texas Department of Public Safety released a statement, visiting criminal law scholar at the University of Houston. It also shows he did not follow procedure when he didnt tell Bland what action he was going to take and the situation had already gotten out of hand. When Chicago cops killed Laquan McDonald in late 2014, the official story was that the knife-wielding teenager had lunged at officers who fired in self-defense. . The second interview was done on Feb. 22, 2016, after he was indicted by a Waller County grand jury on a perjury charge. Skepticism of official narratives about Bland's death has persisted online for years. If her video helps someone get there, all the better. Bland was pulled over on June 10, 2015, during a road trip to Texas from Illinois, where she lived. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Cellphone video recorded by Sandra Bland, a black woman found dead in a Texas jail following a confrontational 2015 traffic stop, shows for the first time her perspective as a . A pair of officers in Chicago who helped federal officials catch a network of corrupt and abusive cops operating in one of the citys housing projects later said in December that they had been retaliated against by colleagues. Press ESC to cancel. But for black women like me, her presence is everywhere. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Get out of the car! he shouts while pointing it at her chest. Comments are off for this post. Nationwide tensions over the deathsof Black Americans in police custody particularly at traffic stopsandevidence that law enforcement officialsedited several segments from the dashcam videoalso heightened skepticism. If convicted, Encinia could face up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. Part of HuffPost Black Voices. It mandates county jails divert people with mental health and substance abuse issues toward treatment. Even though trooper Brian Encinia had been on the job for about a year, the records give a glimpse of his background. A prosecutor can still go to trial if he or she believes that the evidence is strong enough to warrant one, and there will still be a grand jury regarding the events surrounding the arrest. If convicted of the perjury charge, Encinia could face up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. The trooper, Brian Encinia, would later be fired and charged with perjury, though the charge wouldn't stick. The trooper, Brian Encinia, was indicted on a charge of perjury. Six years after the highly publicizeddeath of Sandra Bland in police custody, social media users continue to circulate aconspiracy theorythat police took mugshots after Bland had already died. My safety was in jeopardy at more than one time, said Encinia, during an interview by the agencys Office of Inspector General, when asked if he was scared during the traffic stop. Academy Award-nominated actor Brian Tyree Henry talks about being nominated for an oscar award. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Sandra Bland/Place of birth. But Bland was alive when her mugshots were taken. And I previously wrote how South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigiegs past use of the phrase All Lives Matter viewed by many as a rejection of the Black Lives Matter movement prompted suspicion about his views on policing. FILE - In this July 10, 2015 image made from dashcam video provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety, then-Trooper Brian Encinia arrests Sandra Bland after a routine traffic stop led to a . "But I pray for them and I just pray for better days for America because America is messed up right now.". Former state Trooper Brian Encinia, who pulled Bland over on July 10, 2015, in Prairie View, Texas, for failing to use a turn signal, no longer faces a perjury charge for making a false statement . Needham said that it's a start, but deaths of Blacks caused by police continue. Encinia's future seems up in the air, and as developments in the case proceed over the next few years, it's possible that he could still face criminal charges. Waller County District Judge Albert . Naperville, IL What is Trading in Cryptocurrency and Where to Practice It. DPS says it is to prevent release of sensitive security information about the jail. For many Black Americans, these deaths and others have caused lasting trauma, Road trip for suburban woman ends in jailhouse death, BuzzFeed Helped Spread Far-Fetched Conspiracy Theories About Sandra Blands Death, Sandra Bland: Anonymous release video claiming to 'expose Texas police for releasing dead mugshot', Sandra Bland Death: Texas to Look Into Alleged Edits of Dashcam Video, #JusticeForSandy: Sandy Bland Death in Texas Jail Sparks Questions, Sandra Bland death triggers #IfIDieInPoliceCustody trend, Sandra Bland's family settles wrongful death case for $1.9M, Trooper Who Arrested Sandra Band Formally Fired, Newly released Sandra Bland video shows her alive at Texas jail before death, Social media speculates whether Bland is dead in mugshot. Him to be true at Texas a & M University was ruled suicide! Said that it 's a start, but deaths of Blacks killed by officers cigarette, Encinia ordered her of. `` unfathomable. `` Tragedy: 7 Things to know about her life and death narratives. 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