Trooper who arrested Bland remains under criminal scrutiny No decision yet on his actions in Bland arrest

Activists hold signs with a picture of Sandra Bland during a rally at Hermann Park on Tuesday. Activists hold signs with a picture of Sandra Bland during a rally at Hermann Park on Tuesday. Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle Photo: Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 155 Caption Close Trooper who arrested Bland remains under criminal scrutiny 1 / 155 Back to Gallery

Waller County jailers and sheriff's office officials will not face criminal charges in the death of Sandra Bland, but the state trooper who stopped her, and whose dashcam recording of their encounter enraged the nation, is still facing criminal scrutiny.

Darrell Jordan, one of the five special prosecutors assigned to the case, said a grand jury that already met three times, clearing on Monday county employees in Bland's death in the county jail, will reconvene in January to review other issues. Jurors still have not issued any decision on Department of Public Safety Trooper Brian Encinia's treatment or arrest of Bland, who he stopped for an improper lane change near Prairie View A&M University on July 10. Dashcam video showed an increasingly confrontational encounter, with Encinia at one point brandishing a stun gun and yelling at Bland, "I will light you up!"

RELATED: Bernie Sanders says Sandra Bland would still be alive if she were white

Protesters around the country have called for the grand jury to indict Encinia.

"If she wouldn't have been wrongfully arrested ... then she would probably still be alive today," said Kristina Jacobs, a 23-year-old activist with the National Black United Front, which had planned several protests Tuesday in response to the grand jury's announcement.

Tom Vinger, a DPS spokesman, said Encinia remains on administrative duty. DPS Director Steve McCraw has said that Encinia violated DPS' courtesy policy during the stop and when he detained Bland.

Calls for accountability

An administrative investigation remains pending, Vinger said.

Bland, a 28-year-old African-American, was jailed for assaulting a public officer - Encinia claimed she kicked him, though that incident was not captured on dashcam video. She wasn't able to raise the $500 necessary to post bail and was found hanging in her jail cell from a ligature made with a plastic bag three days after being arrested.

RELATED: No indictments in Sandra Bland's death

Medical examiners ruled the case a suicide, though Bland's family and friends have disputed that finding. Her arrest and death was one of many over the last year that have sparked greater scrutiny of law enforcement and their interactions with civilians. The case sparked calls for greater accountability on the part of law enforcement and a firestorm on social media, spawning hashtags like #SandySpeaks and #IfIDieinPoliceCustody, and led state lawmakers to call for hearings on jail procedures and safety and for state regulators to change how inmates are evaluated for mental health issues after they are arrested.

Cannon Lambert, who is representing Bland's family in a wrongful death lawsuit, expressed frustration and skepticism Encinia would be charged.

"They've had video of what Encinia did - there's 52 minutes that shows exactly what Encinia did. He had no probable cause to pull her out of car and make her get out. He was just upset she didn't want to put her cigarette out," he said.

Family skeptical

Lambert said the family is also skeptical of the grand jury process, adding that they would be asking again for the results of DPS' investigation into Encinia's actions. He said they have been barred from receiving that information because of the grand jury proceedings.

"It makes them really, really question the whole process and whether or not they're taking this seriously," he said.

Across the country, meanwhile, the news of the grand jury's decision continued to spark outrage and debate.

"This is not over, and people should not interpret it as such," said the Rev. Hannah Bonner, a pastor and activist who spent 80 days holding a vigil outside the Waller County Jail after Bland's death.

RELATED: Request to end lawsuit asks why relatives didn't bail out Bland

Bonner and other activists and supporters of Bland and her family scheduled a news conference and protest in Hempstead on Tuesday afternoon. They also planned a separate gathering later in the evening, in Hermann Park. Elsewhere, protests were planned in Boston, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, Mo., and New Orleans.

Politicians weigh in

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders released a statement following the ruling, criticizing Bland's arrest and detention.

"There's no doubt in my mind that she, like too many African-Americans who die in police custody, would be alive today if she were a white woman," he said, in a statement released on Twitter.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee again called upon federal officials to investigate.

"It is disappointing that the local officials have not produced answers that Ms. Bland's family and the rest of this country expect and deserve," the Houston Democrat said.

Reached Tuesday, Waller County Sheriff R. Glenn Smith said he was pleased the grand jury had declined to press criminal charges against anyone in his office or in the jail.

"We're happy with the decision and felt comfortable that decision was going to be made, because as we've said from the beginning, it was a tragic incident that she inflicted on herself," he said, before offering his condolences to Bland's family. "I don't wish this on any family, and I hate the tragic incident, all the way around. And I really do. And that's the truth."