Cop Who Saw Sandra Bland Arrested Was Threatened Not to Cooperate

RadioOnFire.com - One of the first officers to arrive at the scene of Sandra Bland's arrest has been speaking to media about what he witnessed on that July day in 2015, claiming to have been dissuaded from testifying about what he saw as damning evidence against the arresting officer. Prairie View officer Michael Kelley says there were details left off of the official report that were essential to the case against state trooper Brian Encinia, and that he had been warned by a county prosecutor to keep silent, telling the Huffington Post: "He told me it wouldn't be good for my career," if he supplied the Texas grand jury with his testimony.

“My opinion is that he (Encinia) messed up. He did not have probable cause to detain her after he pulled her out of the car,” Kelley told the publication.

Kelley attests to having overheard Encinia consulting his supervisor on what might be an appropriate charge for the arrest, a conversation that was actually captured on audio. He also says that upon arriving he noticed signs of Bland having been visibly manhandled, with bruises on her forehead. Bland, whose story would set off national outrage when three days after she was taken into custody, she was found dead in her jail cell and determined to have committed suicide, was ultimately the victim of a traffic stop gone wrong. According to reports, Encinia pulled Bland over for failing to signal a lane change. But dashcam video of the stop fueled many to conclude that her detention had more to do with Encinia abusing his authority, as he is seen attempting to drag her out of the driver's seat and threatening: "I will light you up! Get out!" Encinia would eventually lose his job and be indicted on perjury charges for providing false statements about the arrest.

Kelley's claim comes days after revelation broke from a corrections officer who admitted during a deposition for the Bland family's federal lawsuit, that he had falsified jail logs kept during Bland's detention. The Houston Chronicle has since reported that the C.O.'s testimony has pushed the Waller County attorney's office to request a gag order of the remaining proceedings.

Source: nydailynews.com