Top Stories. has spoken our forcefully on this issue since she launched her campaign, she has been criticized for past positions related to addressing police brutality. 2005-2022 Community Impact Newspaper Co. All rights reserved. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. It gives Democrats an opportunity to make this one of their marquee issues. Thank you for supporting our journalism. told the Huffington Posts Michael McLaughlin, Maintained by Center for American Progress - Action Fund. 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. Bland's sister said there is a bond among families of Blacks killed by officers. 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. (LinkedIn) Trooper Brian Encinia, the officer who stopped 28-year-old Sandra Bland on July 10, 2015, in Waller County, Texas, for failing to properly signal a lane change, has been . 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. Who is Brian Encinia? For now, he remains employed by the . The confrontation ended with Encinia forcibly arresting Bland. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy, TinEye Reverse Image Search, accessed June 18. All we know is that he is not active on any social media platforms. CapMetro apologizes for post-Austin FC game service, APA! Amplifying Black voices through news that matters. The charge against Brian Encinia was dropped after he agreed to surrender his state law enforcement . 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. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Sandra Bland was found dead of suicide in a Texas jail cell in July 2015 after being arrested by state trooper Brian Encinia, who claimed she threatened his safety. The Bland family received a $1.9 million settlement in their wrongful-death suit. Former congressman Beto ORourke (D-Tex.) June 28, 2017. This video is compelling proof that Trooper Encinia lied, that Sandra Bland posed no threat, and that there was no basis for her arrest. VOTE: Whats the best KXAN viewer photo of February? Orta was released in May 2020 and is under court supervision until January 2022. The trooper, Brian T. Encinia, approached Ms. Bland's car, took her information and returned to his vehicle to write out a citation. 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. 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. Orta was released in May 2020 and is under court supervision until January 2022. Heres How You Can Make A Difference In Honour Of Brianna Ghey, Morgan Doughty Filed A Lawsuit Against The Murdaugh Family, The Woman Nikole Hannah-Jones Credits With Her Career Success, Heres How To Watch The Alex Murdaugh Trial Live, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. 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. Oct. 13, 2016 Updated: Oct. 13, 2016 3:53 p.m. 21. Im too furious to add anything else constructive at the moment. All information will be forwarded to OIG for further investigation. Get out of the car! he shouts while pointing it at her chest. Austin Zoning: 5 of 7 positions vacant, director, Wildflower forecast: What to expect in Central Texas, As Bowie archive finds new home at UK museum, start, 5 fun crafts for kids on St. Patricks Day, Inspired by the Iditarod race? Minnesota Derek Chauvin/Place of birth. Her friends and family vigorously denied she would have taken her life, saying suicide was "unfathomable.". Although this issue has not dominated the news in recent weeks, it remains a major problem. 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. Most of the time, the blue wall of silence has to get torn down from the outside. The second interview was done on Feb. 22, In a newly released DPS use of force report, Click here to read Sandra Bland Death Investigation, Windshield covers and other handy gear you need for, 18 trendy cowboy boots to wear this winter, 18 books youll want to read on Dr. Seuss Day, Texas House unveils economy, workforce priorities. Menu. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. He might be in the clear currently, but where is Brian Encinia now? Conflicting accountsfrom law enforcement officialsalso created a vacuum for alternativeexplanationsto blossom. As of early 2020, he was in solitary confinement in Collins Correctional Facility. Encinia, who still awaits trial on the perjury indictment, may appeal his firing under department rules. Trooper Brian Encinia was fired after failing to rebut disciplinary charges leveled against him in January, Public Safety Director Steven McCraw wrote in a letter of final termination. They charged him with perjury. I think he was fired because of what happened, and I know that the family knows what happened.. AUSTIN (KXAN) Its dashcam footage that many will never forget and that sparked criticism around the country questioning police use of force. Did they not watch the video? A . But the lack of an indictment is a strong indicator that Encinia won't get his day in court. The trooper, Brian Encinia, would later be fired and charged with perjury, though the charge wouldn't stick. Now.". 6 Things We Know About Brian Encinia, The Texas Trooper Who Arrested Sandra Bland. Corrections officers in upstate New York were caught lying about the circumstances of inmate Leonard Stricklands death in 2010. Officials said Bland, who had been a vocal activist against police brutality and mistreatment, was despondent over not being able to post her $500 bail and go free. In the podcast Texas Standard, Jim Harrington, director of the Texas Civil Rights Project, says that Encinia had no legal authority to order Bland to put out her cigarette or to exit her car. 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. Where is he now? Three days later, her death in Waller County jail cell 95 was ruled a suicide. He completed his education at Texas A&M University. Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. But for all that attention, and video evidence suggesting Blands only offense was getting angry with a cop she felt was mistreating her, the exact circumstances of her death remain unknown. "He got a bogus charge. "I'm angry. 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. 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. Dashcam video from Encinia's car showed him holding a stun gun and threatening, "I will light you up!" In the audio recordings, Encinia said he became concerned by the way Bland was acting and her movements inside in her car as he watched from his patrol vehicle while writing her a warning citation. Page Six reported Friday that the former president "now has a regular gig" as a DJ at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Trooper Encinia stated that he understood. She and eight other Mothers of the Movementseven of whom lost their children to police violence, one of whom lost her daughter to gang violence in Chicago, and one of whom had her son killed by a white Florida man who had gotten angry with he and his friends for playing music too loudplayed a prominent role in Tuesday nights Democratic National Convention proceedings. 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. His attorney did not return our call. And even though we may have experienced some similar things, the pain is different for everyone. Brian Encinia, the Texas trooper who arrested Sandra Bland, had been warned about "unprofessional conduct" in 2014, according to documents obtained by the . NAPERVILLE, Ill. (WLS) -- Video images of violent interactions between law enforcement and Black men and women stir painful memories for the family of Sandra Bland. I think he is afraid of what happened. Needham said that it's a start, but deaths of Blacks caused by police continue. 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. . Comments are off for this post. On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner was killed in the New York City borough of Staten Island after Daniel Pantaleo, a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer, put him in a prohibited chokehold while arresting him. Here are the best, CMT Music Awards ticket presale starts Wednesday. 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. Encinia pulled Bland over on July 10 for failing to use her traffic signal. Brian Encinia. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. 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. 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, a 28-year-old black . Brian Encinia, charged with perjury in the arrest of Sandra Bland, has turned himself in to authorities and is now out on bail. Trooper Brian Encinia was fired after failing to rebut disciplinary charges leveled against him in January, Public Safety Director Steven McCraw . Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. 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. The exchange escalated, resulting in Blands arrest and a charge of assaulting a police officer.Death of Sandra Bland. On July 10, 2015, Texas State Trooper Brian Encinia pulls over a 28-year-old Black woman, Sandra Bland, for failing to signal a lane change. By Nola Valente Once in handcuffs and placed on the the ground, the violator stated that she has epilepsy. Light you up! police continue is that he is not active on any social media platforms by Center American. Light you up! is Brian Encinia now get torn down from the outside in May 2020 and is court. Ensure that we give you the best experience on our website Valente in. 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