The family of a young black woman who died in police custody filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit on Tuesday against the white state trooper who pulled arrested her in early July.
During a Tuesday morning press conference, Sandra Bland's family demanded answers from police who found the 28-year-old dead in her jail cell on July 13.
"We are three weeks out from Sandra's death, we are a week out from her funeral and we still do not know what happened to her," said Bland's sister Sharon Cooper, who said she has just two messages for the state trooper who pulled her sister over and arrested her: "What were you thinking and shame on you."
Officials say Bland hanged herself in her cell, but her family does not believe the official account and have requested that a full investigation be launched into her death. Bland's case has received national attention amid an ongoing conversation on police brutality against minorities in America.
Mother of #SandraBland: "Justice is going to be served if the justice system does what it's supposed to." pic.twitter.com/2P3f8NtQqw— Adam Bennett (@AdamBennettKHOU) August 4, 2015
Bland's sisters sat alongside their mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, who told the press she brought a Bible with her to the press conference because it was the only thing keeping her from screaming.
"The bottom line is she never should have been in that jail," said her mother, Geneva Reed-Veal. "I would welcome any additional information. We've asked for it in writing, but we're not getting it."
Bland was in Prairie View, Texas, for a job interview July 10 when she was stopped for a minor traffic violation -- improperly signaling to change lanes. Her exchange with Encinia quickly escalated, and the trooper claimed Bland assaulted him before he handcuffed her and pinned her to the ground. However, police dashcam footage of the incident does not appear to show Bland assaulting the police officer.
The federal lawsuit named trooper Brian Encinia, who pulled over Bland, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Waller County Sheriff's Office and two of it's employees as defendants in the case.
The lawsuit alleges that those who held Bland in Waller County Jail were “willful, wanton and reckless in failing to provide adequate monitoring of Sandra Bland to keep her safe and secure.”
You can see a copy of the lawsuit here.