Why did soon-to-be former Department of Public Safety trooper Brian Encina pull Sandra Bland out of her vehicle last July?
If you believed Encina’s incident report, it was “to further investigate the traffic stop,” The Dallas Morning News reports.
Well, a grand jury thinks the trooper lied, and it indicted Encina yesterday for perjury. DPS sent out a statement saying it will fire Encina.
During the traffic stop, Encina became enraged when Bland didn’t extinguish a cigarette, and threatened to “light her up” if she didn’t ext her vehicle. After he took the woman to jail, authorities found her hanging in her cell.
A lawyer for Bland’s family has said the traffic stop was a catalyst for the woman’s suicide.
This article appears in Jan 6-12, 2016.
