Texas Trooper Indicted Over Sandra Bland Stop Formally Fired

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

A Texas state trooper indicted over his arrest of a black woman who was later found dead in jail has been formally fired.

The Texas Department of Public Safety announcement Wednesday comes three months after Trooper Brian Encinia was charged with perjury. Encinia is accused of lying about his July 2015 arrest of Sandra Bland, whose confrontational traffic stop with the trooper was recorded on dashcam video.

Encinia can appeal his firing to a state board. His attorney has said the indictment isn't justified and that Encinia was looking out for his own safety.

The family of Bland, a 28-year-old black woman from Chicago, has sued the Department of Public Safety and local authorities who ran the jail where she was found dead. Her death was ruled a suicide.


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/texas-trooper-indicted-sandra-bland-stop-formally-fired-37348017

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By PAUL J. WEBER, ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN, Texas — Mar 2, 2016, 2:37 PM ET

Short article. No more at link.

[tabasco]

1. Even the Troopers won't tolerate total assholes?

Or just the ones caught on video.

[Half-Century Man]

9. Just the videoed ones.

[7wo7rees]

2. Well this is pleasant news...

[bjobotts]

5. This bully should be in prison. I don't buy the suicide bit either.Not after watching the arrest.

[TeamPooka]

3. It's a small step toward justice. nt

[4lbs]

4. Good, but why did it take 9 months to do so?

The police office was looking out for his own safety?

Sandra Bland didn't have a weapon. He was much bigger and stronger than she.

[BeyondGeography]

6. Unrepentant liar

He'll lose on appeal. The camera doesn't lie.

[Chakab]

7. Just perjury? He should also have been charged with filing a false report, false imprisonment

and battery.

The issue isn't just that he lied under oath. The fact that he had no compunction about making up a story to justify his arrest of Bland because he didn't like the way that she spoke to him is a far bigger problem. Cops shouldn't be allowed to get away with making up bullshit to justify abusing their authority to humble people whom they think have disrespected them.

[jalan48]

8. Good to hear, but he should be more than fired.

His actions resulted in the death of this woman.

[Joe Chi Minh]

10. What the hell do these low-lifes mean, when they say : "He/She became uncooperative...

and argumentative"* when dealing with the offence of making an arguably problematic lane-change ! What could be more straightforward than dealing with a woman's denials and or complaints ? All her details could be traced via the number on her registration plate.

If they are too immature or mentally challenged to handle the victim's (I use the word, advisedly here) being upset and a little truculent, they should be taught to keep their verbal interactions with the public to a minimum. "Yes, Sir." "No Sir". "Yes, Madam". "No Madam".

It's not like dealing with an armed robber - even a black man with his gun as near as 20 ft away from him and his hands in the air. That WOULD have been "hairy"!

*Guess what, US police ? You are not God. Even when you're wearing your uniform. A woman's raised voice shouldn't scare you or upset you to the extent that you feel you have to arrest her and imprison her. I know.... I know.... being 'black' covers a multitude of sins. It's not good enough.

[Sunlei]

11. finally fired!, Mr. "I'LL LIGHT YOU UP" Brian Encinia.