Family of Sandra Bland files federal lawsuit

The family of Sandra Bland will be filing a federal lawsuit due to lack of answers from authorities following the death of Bland.

Family of Sandra Bland files lawsuit

The family also announced there is a possibility that she died by suicide in a Texas jail cell after being arrested during a traffic stop but insisted it still has many questions about her death and hopes a federal wrongful death lawsuit will answer them.

KHOU reports attorney Cannon Lambert joined Bland’s mother and other family members at a press conference on Tuesday morning to discuss the case.

Family of Sandra Bland wants investigation

Lambert says the family wants the Department of Justice to investigate Bland’s death, which authorities say was a suicide. Family members have disputed that claim, however.

“This shouldn’t happen. It can’t happen. It’s gotta stop,” said Lambert.

Bland’s mother said at the press conference that her daughter never belonged in jail in the first place.

“The bottom line is she never should have been in that jail,” said Geneva Reed-Veal. “Justice is going to be served if the justice system does what it’s supposed to.”

“I would welcome any additional information. We’ve asked for it in writing, but we’re not getting it,” said the mother.

Attorney Lambert say the family’s request were ignored for more information but the media’s were not.

Family members say they are still waiting on autopsy results from an independent autopsy that show Bland’s gastric content, ligatures, time of death and other information that should be provided by Waller County.

Arrest and jailhouse death

Bland’s arrest and jailhouse death garnered national attention as it comes during a year of high scrutiny of police and their dealings with black suspects.

She was in Prairie View, TX when she was stopped by for a minor traffic violation on July 10th. Dash cam video shows a confrontation with Bland and the officer which quickly escalated when he asked her to put her cigarette out.

The trooper asks her out of the car and at one point says he’s going to “light her up” with a taser if she doesn’t move. A minor traffic stopped turned into Bland being arrested for assaulting the officer.

Texas police said Bland hanged herself with a garbage bag three days later in jail, where she was being held on $5,000 bail.

But the question remains as Bland said in her chilling voicemail “how did a minor traffic turn into all of this?”