Bernie Sanders brings Sandra Bland case back into national spotlight

Video: Bernie Sanders Sandra Bland clip

Bernie Sanders touched on a Houston area controversy during the first Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday night.

Moderator Anderson Cooper asked the five candidates on stage: “Black lives matter or all lives matter?” The senator from Vermont responded by bringing up the Sandra Bland case that drew nationwide protests this summer.

RELATED: Family of Sandra Bland files lawsuit

Bland was pulled over in Waller County for failure to signal a lane change. Minutes later, the officer, Brian Encinia, ordered Bland out of the car, threatened to Taser her, forced her to the ground and arrested her. The 28-year-old African American woman was found dead in her jail cell three days later in what a medical examiner ruled a suicide.

Here is Sanders’ full response to the “Black Lives Matter” question (courtesy of a Washington Post transcript):

SANDERS: And the reason -- the reason those words matter is the African American community knows that on any given day some innocent person like Sandra Bland can get into a car, and then three days later she's going to end up dead in jail, or their kids...

(APPLAUSE)

SANDERS: ...are going to get shot. We need to combat institutional racism from top to bottom, and we need major, major reforms in a broken criminal justice system...

(APPLAUSE)

SANDERS: ...In which we have more people in jail than China. And, I intended to tackle that issue. To make sure that our people have education and jobs rather than jail cells.

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Demonstrators call for the firing and indictment of State Trooper Brian Encinia during a protest on Sunday, July 26, 2015, in Katy. The demonstrators gathered at an apartment complex, lined by Harris County deputies on horseback, to protest against the trooper who arrested Sandra Bland. less Demonstrators call for the firing and indictment of State Trooper Brian Encinia during a protest on Sunday, July 26, 2015, in Katy. The demonstrators gathered at an apartment complex, lined by Harris County ... more Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 140 Caption Close Bernie Sanders brings Sandra Bland case back into national spotlight 1 / 140 Back to Gallery

Four of the five candidates (Jim Webb was the odd man out) discussed why they backed the “Black Lives Matter” movement, which has worked to draw attention to police brutality and institutional racism in the U.S.

RELATED: GOP candidate Mike Huckabee makes racist tweet during debate

Sanders at times has struggled to connect with the movement (And some have said even his mentions of Bland haven't gone far enough). Still, prominent Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King praised Sanders' mention of Bland on a national stage.

At the same time, King and other activists expressed disappointment that that was the only question of the night to address racism and race relations in the country.

.@AndersonCooper, you were strong tonight, though I hope there are more questions about race at the next debate. #DemDebate — deray mckesson (@deray) October 14, 2015

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This is the second time the city of Houston has been called out during the debates. In the first Republican debate this summer, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul accused Houston Mayor Annise Parker of trampling on religious freedom by trying to subpoena sermons of local pastors who are fighting the city's equal rights ordinance.

See a guide to the Sandra Bland case in the gallery above.