Official word came today that the trooper who fatally pulled over and jailed Sandra Bland last summer has finally been fired , but what’s next in this case? According to a news release and termination letter signed by Director Steve McCraw and published online by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Trooper Brian T. Encinia was officially fired Tuesday, March 1.
Bland’s death by strangulation happened while being held in jail after the arrest, in a horrific turn of events, and has sparked outrage and criticism of the police, especially surrounding their treatment of minorities. The tragedy has also prompted ongoing investigations into Bland’s cause of death and former Trooper Encinia’s actions, reported the Los Angeles Times .
“Bland’s relatives have demanded investigative records in the case as part of the wrongful-death lawsuit they filed in August against the Waller County Sheriff’s Office, jail officials and the Texas Department of Public Safety.”
A Waller County grand jury also separately indicted Encinia for perjury in connection with the traffic stop in January after finding evidence the trooper lied about the circumstances under which Bland was forced to leave her car. If convicted, Encinia could face up to one year behind bars and a fine of $4,000.
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Trooper Encinia reportedly remains unapologetic about the stop and even met with the director last month to discuss his impending termination and plead his case. In this week’s termination letter, however, McCraw tells Encinia the he “carefully considered” all points raised by the trooper in their recent meeting, but ultimately decided that the officer had “not rebutted the charges ” that were set forth January 28 and fired Encinia, effective March 1.
Those charges include a failure to “remain courteous and tactful,” while engaging in “argumentative discussions” and failing to “exercise patience and discretion throughout the contact,” to name only a few of the infractions listed.
“During the encounter… you prolonged the traffic stop beyond the time reasonably necessary to complete the tasks associated with the traffic infraction.”
Former state trooper Encinia also failed to follow the Texas Highway Patrol’s seven-step violator interview process, which clearly defines each step the officer was required to take during what should have been a routine traffic stop.
Watch the entire traffic stop here.
In response to the lengthy list of charges, Encinia’s attorney told the Texas Tribune that his client plans to appeal the director’s decision to fire the officer. Although he would not immediately return calls Thursday, Encinia’s attorney has reportedly told the Los Angeles Times in the past that his client “had grounds to stop Bland” and had, in fact, not lied to the grand jury.
The Bland family’s case is reportedly set for trial beginning January 23, 2017. As for their reaction to Encinia being fired, Bland family attorney Cannon Lambert told the Los Angeles Times that he was notified about the impending appeal.
“It’s unfortunate that even after having the opportunity to review the video of the stop, that Mr. Encinia is still incapable of accepting the error of his ways and is looking to appeal.”
Championed by the Black Lives Matter movement, Bland’s case has also touched the 2016 presidential campaign when her mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, appeared with Hillary Clinton, and Senator Bernie Sanders promised her that he would #SayHerName at the first Democratic debate in October.
Trooper Encinia stopped Sandra Bland close to Prairie A&M University on July 10, 2015, for allegedly failing to properly signal a lane change. After provoking a heated argument with Bland, Encinia brutally arrested her for “assailing a public servant,” despite ample video evidence from his own dash cam to the contrary. Just three days later, Bland was found hanged in her Waller County jail cell. At this time, her death has been ruled a suicide.
[Photo by Jonathan Gibby/Getty Images]
