The Texas prosecutor who is investigating the suspicious death of a black woman while in custody was accused last year of sending threatening messages to a black pastor who had publicly criticized his handling of cases that involved minorities.
Sandra Bland, an outspoken critic of police violence against black people, was found dead in a jail cell Monday, two days after the 28-year-old had been stopped by police for a lane change violation while on her way from Chicago to a new job near Houston.
“She was smoking when he pulled her over, (and officers) told her to put her cigarette out, she had an exchange of words and it just went downhill,” said friend LaVaughn Mosely, who spoke to Bland shortly after her arrest. “She said he snatched her out of the window and slammed her on her face.”
Video recorded by a bystander shows officers on top of Bland, who was arrested for assaulting a public servant, as she cries out that they had slammed her head into the ground.
The medical examiner ruled Bland’s death a suicide, and the prosecutor said he agrees with the finding.
“It appears she had used a trash bag to hang herself from a partition in the ceiling, which was used to give inmates privacy,” said Elton Mathis, district attorney of Waller County.
But family and friends say that doesn’t make sense, because Bland was excited to start a new job at her alma mater, Prairie View A&M, in Waller County.
Sandra Bland told family she thought her arm might be fractured.
Mathis, the prosecutor who is investigating the case, has a troubling history that suggests bias against blacks, reported blogger Shaun King of Daily Kos.
Last year, the Rev. Walter Pendleton asked Mathis to provide documentation on prosecution rates by ethnicity in Waller County.
Pendleton said the prosecutor responded to his public request with a string of abusive texts, telling the pastor he was “too stupid” to understand the term “selective prosecution” and apparently threatening to send law enforcement after his critic.
“My hounds ain’t even started yet dumb ass,” Mathis wrote. “Keep talking. When I talk people will listen. Keep talking and I will sue your ass for slander. It works both ways. ‘Dr.’ Take your fake Dr. Ass and jump off a high cliff.”
Pendleton, pastor of Pendleton Chapel Baptist Church, said he feared for his life because the prosecutor used a racially charged metaphor to threaten him.
“What do hounds do? They hunt,” Pendleton said.
Mathis admitted sending the texts, but he said he was simply attacking the pastor’s character.
“Those statements were made by me in anger, but I stand behind them,” Mathis said.
Hey Chicas! Remember this from 2013
Josh gets stopped by the PoPo on his way coming to my house to pick me up. Josh is in a good mood b/c he’s going car shopping and wants me to tag along with him. Well, just before he makes the left to my house, the police stops him. Josh asks what’s the problem? Police says “you didn’t put on your turn signal”. Josh says “yes I did. I put it on 200 yards away”. Police: “Is it working”? Josh says “yes it’s working”. Police says” do you have insurance”? Josh pulls out insurance. Police: Is this truck registered to you”? Josh says, “yes it is”. The police knew damn well the truck is registered to Josh b/c he ran a check on him. Then he asked…”do you live around here”? WTF does that have to do with eggs in China? Police couldn’t find anything so he tells Josh make sure you put your signal on. Josh says “I did put my signal on 200 yards away before I made the turn”.
The police is a lying liar. He had no cause to stop Josh. He tried to make one up. He stopped Josh b/c he saw those rims on a nice truck so he just knew drugs were in that truck. Josh was racially profiled. Guilty of driving while black.
http://3chicspolitico.com/2013/03/20/at-close-range-the-curious-case-of-trayvon-martin/#comments
I remember when that happened.
https://instagram.com/p/5SB856JnsE/
From the thesaurus – Cover Up
Take your pick.
It’s a coverup, to be sure. We don’t know the story but we sure as hell know that a woman is dead who shouldn’t be. This starts with a minor traffic violation and ends in the death of a beautiful, successful 28 year old woman? Suicide? No way. The suicide coverup is as old as the hills.
Well, more than one person knows what really happened in that jail which means the truth might become available. I’m sure the locals are scared of the cops which is one reason why the DOJ should be there NOW.
This is so wrong.
The medical examiner ruled Sandra Bland’s death a suicide? On what basis? If she died by hanging, then how does he know it was suicide? And what were her other injuries? Don’t tell me there weren’t any because that is impossible. I do NOT believe suicide. It’s looking like that whole damn county is corrupt with respect to “law enforcement.” NOW is the time for the DOJ to take over before they’ve destroyed ALL the evidence.
I agree, Liza, the DOJ must get involved.
Right now the petition is at 79,000+ signatures:
Petitioning THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE and 1 other –
Take Over The Investigation Into The Death of Sandra Bland From The Waller County, Texas Police Department.
https://www.change.org/p/the-united-states-department-of-justice-attorney-general-loretta-lynch-take-over-the-investigation-into-the-death-of-sandra-bland-from-the-waller-county-texas-police-department
thank you, SG2, and all the other twitter warriors, who continue to show the world what these folks are.
There is nowhere to hide anymore. They will be exposed, even when they continuing killing us, we will not GO AWAY, SHUT UP, AND FIGHT FOR OUR LIVES.
Thanks for posting this.
Okay, so the traffic stop they say “violated procedures regarding a traffic stop” ( = pulling Sandra out of the driver’s window instead of just handing her a ticket?) and the department’s courtesy policy (= slamming her head to the ground and getting on top of her and pushing a knee into her back?)
I wonder what videos they have. Either the traffic stop or jail surveillance videos I imagine. Apparently we will be able to see them soon.
No shit, Sherlocks! Apparently grabbing citizens out the car window is not standard procedure
Here’s more:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2015/07/17/sandra-bland-cop-benched.html
So blatant. Really could give no fukks. It’s appalling that is who is entrusted to make sure the laws are justly applied and the office of the DA is honorably upheld. What a joke white supremacy is. They sound angry about everything and severely under educated. The words and actions they resort to when challenged, is laughable. They can keep their supremacy.
Yes; a MAJOR disconnect for Americans who don’t speak up about this.
I guess they forgot what Hitler did to the Jews..YES; I SAID IT.
But I suppose BLACK LIVES DON’T MATTER!
like, HOW DARE WE care about this young woman.
HOW DARE WE have common sense and our bullshyt meter is off the charts, listening to their ‘explanations’.
YES, WE DARE.
These people who are supposed to be enforcing the law in Waller County are apparently living in the 1950s. That prosecutor is one foul-mouthed, racist, evil POS.
Inviting the pastor to jump off a ‘high cliff.’ So VIOLENT, this so-called prosecutor. Of course Elton Mathias is ANGRY. He and his white male cohorts are angry, because America is changing. And they don’t want Blacks or other POC speaking out and up for their very lives. POS
And of course we all know the history of white racists cops using dogs, water hoses, and billy clubs to attack black people who protest!
jim crow is over, MOFOs!
Honestly, I wish Jim crow was over. The evolution of it is the criminal justice system. Criminalizing minorities the second they are able to. Murders under the cover of the blue shield are making mourners out of all of us. I fear my brown son leaving the house. I fear driving to the grocery store. I mourn my freedom.