Please read the Chicago Tribune articles and pass to OTHERS in the community.
By Wesley Lowery, The Washington Post
U.S. Attorney General
Loretta Lynch: Sandra Bland death underscores fears some blacks have about
police.
Attorney
General Loretta Lynch says the in-custody death of Sandra Bland in Texas and
the recently released dash-cam video of her arrest underscores long-held fears
many black Americans have about interactions with police.
"It
highlights the concern of many in the black community that a routine stop for
many members of the black community is not handled with the same
professionalism and courtesy that other people may get from the police,"
Lynch, the first African American woman to serve as attorney general, told ABC
News' Pierre Thomas on Sunday.
Bland's
death, which authorities say was a suicide, came after she was arrested during
a traffic stop and held in custody for three days. Video of the traffic stop,
released last week, shows that a Texas trooper threatened Bland with a Taser
when he ordered her out of her vehicle July 10.
The
28-year-old African American woman was stopped for failing to signal while
changing lanes, but the stop turned confrontational when the officer, Brian
Encinia, ordered her to put out her cigarette.
When
Bland questioned why she had to put out her cigarette, Encinia ordered her out
of the vehicle. When she refused to comply, the situation escalated.
Encinia opened
the driver's door and attempted to remove Bland from the vehicle.
"I'm
going to yank you out of here," he said as the two struggled in the car.
"I'm going to drag you out of here."
"Don't
touch me. I'm not under arrest," Bland said.
"I will
light you up!" Encinia said, while pointing the Taser at Bland.
Three days later, Bland was dead in her
jail cell. Officials in Texas, who are investigating the death, have said she
hanged herself using a plastic trash bag that was in her cell.
"We have a situation where many minority communities
for so long have felt that law enforcement was coming in essentially to enforce
laws against them, not to protect them." Lynch said. "I do think that
what has been an important part of the debate in Miss Bland's death has been
the discussions that we've seen from community members and police leaders alike
... about the importance of training and de-escalating incidents."
The FBI is assisting local officials in their investigation.
The Justice Department has yet to open any independent investigation.
Meanwhile, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican
presidential candidate, on Sunday called for transparency in the investigation
into Bland's death, noting that it is clear the trooper involved did not follow
protocol.
"Transparency
is really important in this process. So that all the citizens of the state of
Texas know that this has been appropriately investigated," Perry told
CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union." "And if it's found
that the individuals made errors, then that needs to be addressed and addressed
in an appropriate way."
Appearing on
"Meet the Press," Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie
Sanders, I-Vt., said Bland's death is indicative of structural and systemic
racism that must be addressed.
"We have to deal with this issue of institutional racism," Sanders
said. "We have to rid this country of racism. What we saw in Charleston,
South Carolina, a few weeks ago, a guy motivated by hate groups who goes out
and kills black people because they're black. Sandra Bland being yanked out of
a car, dying three days later for what -- for a minor traffic violation."
Stay Safe and Alert!!!
Later, Leroy Duncan
Community Representative
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