Death of Sandra Bland

Sandra Bland was an African-American woman who was found dead in a jail cell in Waller County, Texas, on July 13, 2015. Police said that she had hanged herself and her death was followed by protests against her arrest, disputing the cause of death and alleging racial violence against her. Bland was 28 years old when she died, and had been a critic of police brutality in the United States.

Bland had been pulled over for a minor traffic violation on July 10, by state trooper Brian Encinia. Encinia arrested her following an escalating conflict, which was caught on audio and video recordings, and alleged that she had assaulted him. After the announcement of her death and the release of video footage showing the arrest, the officer was placed on administrative duties for failing to follow proper traffic stop procedures. On July 16, Texas authorities and the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced they had begun a joint investigation into Bland's death. The Waller County district attorney's office said that her death would be investigated as a possible murder. A motion-activated camera outside Bland's cell showed no recording in the hallway for 90 minutes before jailers found her dead.

An autopsy conducted by the Harris County medical examiner ruled her death a suicide and said it found no evidence of a violent struggle. The results from a second independent autopsy requested by Bland's family have not been released. On July 29, demonstrators gathered in New York's Washington Square Park, holding lighted signs for Bland.