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Democracy Now!

New Dash Cam Video Shows Arrest of Sandra Bland, Found Dead in Texas Jail

"Democracy Now!" airs weekdays at 9 a.m. PT on KCET.

In Texas, authorities have released police dashboard camera footage that shows the arrest of Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old African-American woman who was found dead in a jail cell in Waller County, Texas, last week after a traffic stop for not signaling a lane change. Authorities have said her death was a suicide, a claim that her friends and family have disputed. The arrest video shows Trooper Brian Encinia threatening to "light [Bland] up" after she questions his order for her to put out her cigarette while she was smoking in her own car. Previously released footage shot by a bystander shows Bland accusing police of slamming her head into the ground and saying, "I can't even hear." Texas state Senator Royce West told reporters that the newly released dash cam footage shows that Bland should never have been arrested in the first place.

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