Brian Encinia, the state trooper who arrested Sandra Bland in 2015 during a routine traffic stop in Prarie View, Texas, was cleared of all charges by a judge on Wednesday (June 29), VICE reports.
Reportedly, after Encinia pulled Bland over, a video surfaced showing the ex-officer aggressively slamming the 28-year-old to the ground, yet he was never charged with assault. Three days after Bland’s incarceration, she was found dead in her cell. Medical examiners determined the cause of death was by suicide. Still, Bland’s family deems that claim false because of her seemingly promising life.
Bland, who is originally from Chicago, moved back to Texas for a job at her alma mater, Prairie View A&M University. In 2016, Encinia was charged with perjury for saying he took Bland out of the car in an effort to conduct the stop in a safer manner, since she did not use a turning signal. Subsequently, the judge dismissed that charge after the officer’s defense team agreed it would be in exchange for a deal that stipulates he will no longer work in law enforcement.
Lawyer’s statement after perjury charge dismissed against former DPS trooper from the Sandra Bland stop: pic.twitter.com/ILKkzOMeSv
— Chuck Lindell (@chucklindell) June 28, 2017
“Brian and his family appreciate the thoughtful review by the prosecutors,” Encinia’s lawyer stated. “Dismissal was the right thing to do. The Encinias will remain forever grateful to their family, friends, and members of the law enforcement community for all their support.”