20102021 Encinia was eventually charged, but only with perjury a decision that sparked further outrage. Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. Numerous NYPD officers told local public radio reporters in 2012 that they had been frozen out and labeled as snitches by colleagues after reporting corrupt activity to Internal Affairs. Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. But Encinia said he didnt know what he was arresting Bland for but would come up with something, Kelley says. I unequivocally state that he never approached me, my first assistant, or any member of my staff with any such information, Mathis wrote to the Houston Chronicle. (Designed by Jos Dennis/Community Impact Newspaper). That was the only criminal charge he faced. He has 15 days . ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc. Black males accounted for 22 percent of all people shot and killed in 2017, yet they are 6 percent of the total population. Thank you for supporting our journalism. If her video helps someone get there, all the better. Trooper Brian Encinia has been indicted on charges of lying about his arrest of Bland, later found hanged in a jail cell. Lawyers for Blands family have argued that Encinia did not have grounds for the arrest and escalated the confrontation. Brian Encinia is considered as an ex-state trooper who was responsible for arresting Sandra Bland who was hanged three days after this arrest. For now, he remains employed by the . 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. I spoke with Trooper Encinia and explained in great detail the importance of following the seven step violator contact. "But I pray for them and I just pray for better days for America because America is messed up right now.". 6 Things We Know About Brian Encinia, The Texas Trooper Who Arrested Sandra Bland. He completed his education at Texas A&M University. A grand jury declined to charge anyone at the jail in connection to Bland's death. Six officers in Whittier, CA, sued for similar reasons there over a year ago. All we know is that he is not active on any social media platforms. Protesters have made use of Garners last words, I cant breathe, as a slogan and chant against police brutality since Garners death and Pantaleos grand jury decision. As for the former Texas state trooper who arrested Bland, the I-Team was unable to find current contact information for Brian Encinia. AUSTIN (KXAN) Its dashcam footage that many will never forget and that sparked criticism around the country questioning police use of force. "He got a bogus charge. Who was the Texas state trooper that pulled over Sandra Bland? told the Huffington Posts Michael McLaughlin, Maintained by Center for American Progress - Action Fund. Five years after Bland's death, accountability in her case is something Sandra's sister says the family still awaits. Bland, 28, was found hanging in her jail cell three days after state trooper Brian Encinia arrested her after a routine traffic stop July 10, 2015. The footage shows Bland walking back and forth in the jail's entryway. She should be alive. CapMetro apologizes for post-Austin FC game service, APA! Who is graffitiing I was raped, I am OK in ATX? Sandra Bland should still be alive. 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. 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. "In my opinion, Trooper Brian Encinia's actions were the . Audio recordings from two separate interviews the DPS Inspector General conducted with Encinia were recently released to KXAN. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy, TinEye Reverse Image Search, accessed June 18. Pending the outcome of the Texas Ranger and FBI investigation into this incident, the employee involved has been assigned administrative duties. The situation had already gotten out of hand by the time the violator found out what she was receiving. 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. "You have to be the best person that you can be, because you don't know who you are going to encounter on that day," said Needham. "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. | The Texas Tribune Trooper fired for Sandra Bland stop: My safety was in jeopardy. Former Texas Department of Safety Trooper Brian Encinia says he feared for his personal safety after pulling over Sandra Bland in Waller County on July 21, 2015. But Bland was alive when her mugshots were taken. Aside from the violated regulations, there is considerable division in the Texas legal community about the legality of Encinia's actions. Enough is enough," said Needham. The defense team for Brian Encinia, the then-DPS trooper who arrested Sandra Bland, may ask for the trial to be moved outside Waller County. Naperville, IL Waller County District Judge Albert . Id like to see candidates continue to take the right stances, even if they are difficult, she said. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. More: George Floyd. Her death was ruled a suicide. 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. 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. Now, Bland's family is alleging that the Texas Department of Public Safety . President Trump has largely defended law enforcement officers since launching his campaign. 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. The video sparked renewed conversation about police misconduct against black Americans. I'm angry that my sister passed five years ago and they are still killing us. Trooper Encinia stated that he understood. Who is Brian Encinia? . Yes, her blood is in their hands.Police & prosecutors hid her cellphone video of her arrest for 4 years. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. We desperately need more critical thinking about the role of police and the narratives they feed us. Police say Sandra Bland killed herself in jail. The trooper, Brian T. Encinia, approached Ms. Bland's car, took her information and returned to his vehicle to write out a citation. 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. Encinia's case was dropped in exchange for a promise he would never again work in law enforcement. Brian Encinia, charged with perjury in the arrest of Sandra Bland, has turned himself in to authorities and is now out on bail. 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. Knowing he could not ticket Bland for failure to stop at the sign, Encinia went on to explain why he followed her. Did they not watch the video? ON NOW. Former congressman Beto ORourke (D-Tex.) Press ESC to cancel. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. When speaking with Trooper Encinia about this he said that he had no intentions of being rude. What is Trading in Cryptocurrency and Where to Practice It. I was checking the condition of the vehicle, such as the make, the model, had a license plate, any other conditions.. Get out of the car! he shouts while pointing it at her chest. Brian Encinia Audio Interview after Bland Death (81 minutes), Brian Encinia Interview after Indictment (24 minutes). And Kelleys testimony that she had a head wound at the scene might have influenced the grand jury process that ultimately only rung Encinia up on perjury charges. Corrections officers in upstate New York were caught lying about the circumstances of inmate Leonard Stricklands death in 2010. AFacebook post from June 2020 that is regaining tractionrepeats theclaim that Bland was dead in her mugshotand purports to have photographic evidence. By Nola Valente Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Sandra Bland's own video of traffic stop surfaces, Cellphone video recorded by Sandra Bland, a black woman found dead in a Texas jail following a 2015 traffic stop, shows for the first time her perspective as a white state trooper points his stun gun at her while ordering her out of her car. But for black women like me, her presence is everywhere. It also requires an independent investigation into jail deaths. Brian Encinia is an ex-state trooper in Texas. Here's why that's hard to believe. Nola was previously a foreign correspondent in Jerusalem, Israel covering Middle East news through an internship with an American news outlet. Texas lawmakers passed the Sandra Bland Act in 2017. Brian Encinia is an ex-state trooper in Texas. Blands death drew outrage from people concerned with police violence against Black Americans. This video is compelling proof that Trooper Encinia lied, that Sandra Bland posed no threat, and that there was no basis for her arrest. Popular Networth. This is a short clip of police video that shows Sandra Bland's arrest in Texas on July 10, three days before she died in a county jail. There have been 179 this year, according to Mappingpoliceviolence.org. 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. The Texas state trooper who stopped Bland, Brian Encinia, was charged with lying to investigators for saying his safety was in jeopardy. Here are the best, CMT Music Awards ticket presale starts Wednesday. But when investigators asked why he didnt order Bland out of the car at that point or ask what she was doing, Encinia said he had no answer. Othersquestioned how a routine traffic stop could have escalated to an assault charge. Encinia pulled Bland over on July 10 for failing to use her traffic signal. 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. subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. This case should be reopened and justice should finally be served., Nina Turner, co-chair of the presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), called the video gut-wrenching and unacceptable.. 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