Unable to Make Bail, Sandra Bland Killed Herself: Officials

Waller County attorneys are arguing that Sandra Bland killed herself because she was unable to quickly make bail and became despondent.

In a federal court motion to dismiss a wrongful-death lawsuit as reported by the Associated Press, Larry Simmons, attorney for Waller County, said “Ultimately, Bland’s decision to commit suicide was hers alone, after she denied any suicidal intentions to jail personnel, and after her friends and family refused to bail her out of jail.”

Bland’s bail was set at around $500.

Larry Rogers Jr., a lawyer for Bland’s mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, told AP that blaming Bland’s relatives was untrue.

“That’s a gratuitous insult, pouring salt into the wound of an already devastated family,” Rogers said to AP.

According to Rogers, Bland’s family didn’t ignore her, but were trying to figure out how to get her out of jail over a weekend.

“(They’re) not familiar with the procedures and processes, they’re over a thousand miles away,” Rogers said in the article.

Bland, a 28-year-old Naperville resident, was pulled over July 10 for not signaling a lane change. Three days later, she was found dead in a Texas jail cell.

A medical examiner said Bland had killed herself using a plastic trash bag in the cell.

Bland’s family vehemently denies that she would kill herself, blaming jailers for causing her death.

The Death of Sandra Bland

• Texas district attorney says the case will go to a grand jury and says it’s being treated as a “murder Investigation.” Meanwhile, civil rights activists and politicians are asking the Justice Department to step in. Recent coverage includes:
• Congressman Asks Department of Justice to Investigate Sandra Bland’s Death
• Sister ‘Infuriated’ By Dash Cam Footage
• Sandra Bland Tried to Kill Herself Before Arrest: AP
• Texas Public Safety Denies Altering Sandra Bland Dash Cam Footage
• Timeline Leading Up to Death of Sandra Bland Released
• Lawyer for Family of Sandra Bland Describes Police Dash Cam Video
• Family of Naperville Woman Who Died in Jail Seeks Independent Autopsy
• Sandra Bland’s funeral