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| Sandra Bland's death in jail to be reviewed like a murder case | |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| The death of a woman in a Texas jail cell, apparently by suicide, is being reviewed like a murder case. | |
| The coroner said Sandra Bland hanged herself but her family do not believe that would have been possible. | The coroner said Sandra Bland hanged herself but her family do not believe that would have been possible. |
| A local prosecutor in Waller County called on Tuesday for a "thorough review'' and said her death would be examined like a murder investigation. | A local prosecutor in Waller County called on Tuesday for a "thorough review'' and said her death would be examined like a murder investigation. |
| She was found dead in her cell a week ago, three days after she allegedly hit an officer during a traffic stop. | She was found dead in her cell a week ago, three days after she allegedly hit an officer during a traffic stop. |
| Her death is one of many under national scrutiny in which a black person has died while in police custody. | Her death is one of many under national scrutiny in which a black person has died while in police custody. |
| The death is already being investigated by the FBI but the local prosecutor said another investigation, by the Texas Rangers, would be very thorough. | The death is already being investigated by the FBI but the local prosecutor said another investigation, by the Texas Rangers, would be very thorough. |
| "It is very much too early to make any kind of determination that this was a suicide or a murder because the investigations are not complete," said Elton Mathis, the Waller County district attorney. | "It is very much too early to make any kind of determination that this was a suicide or a murder because the investigations are not complete," said Elton Mathis, the Waller County district attorney. |
| An Illinois native, 28-year-old Bland was in Texas because she was about to start a new job there when she was pulled over by police. | An Illinois native, 28-year-old Bland was in Texas because she was about to start a new job there when she was pulled over by police. |
| Bland's family has ordered an independent autopsy and called for a probe from the Department of Justice. | Bland's family has ordered an independent autopsy and called for a probe from the Department of Justice. |
| Video footage did not show what happened inside Bland's cell, but did suggest no one entered or left it until someone found her unconscious. | Video footage did not show what happened inside Bland's cell, but did suggest no one entered or left it until someone found her unconscious. |
| Jail Sheriff Glen Smith said his staff checked on Bland less than an hour before she was found dead. | Jail Sheriff Glen Smith said his staff checked on Bland less than an hour before she was found dead. |
| Her sister Shante Needham said Bland called her from jail, saying she did not know why she had been arrested and that an officer had possibly broken her arm. | Her sister Shante Needham said Bland called her from jail, saying she did not know why she had been arrested and that an officer had possibly broken her arm. |
| The Texas Rangers are testing for fingerprints and DNA to be able to "say with certainty what happened in that cell", Mr Mathis said. | The Texas Rangers are testing for fingerprints and DNA to be able to "say with certainty what happened in that cell", Mr Mathis said. |
| He called her "combative" while being arrested. | He called her "combative" while being arrested. |
| "It was not a model traffic stop... and it was not a model person that was stopped on a traffic stop," said Mr Mathis. | "It was not a model traffic stop... and it was not a model person that was stopped on a traffic stop," said Mr Mathis. |
| "I think the public can make its own determinations as to the behaviours that are seen in the video.'' | "I think the public can make its own determinations as to the behaviours that are seen in the video.'' |
| Mathis said a police dashcam video, set to be released on Tuesday, is "consistent" with what the officer who arrested Bland said about the 10 July traffic stop. | Mathis said a police dashcam video, set to be released on Tuesday, is "consistent" with what the officer who arrested Bland said about the 10 July traffic stop. |
| The trooper who arrested Bland is on administrative leave until there is an outcome from the investigation. | The trooper who arrested Bland is on administrative leave until there is an outcome from the investigation. |