Trooper who pulled over Bland placed on administrative duty

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 / 131 Caption Close Trooper who pulled over Bland placed on administrative duty 1 / 131 Back to Gallery

The agency that regulates county jails across Texas informed the Waller County jail that it was out of compliance with minimum jail standards after investigating the death of an inmate who authorities said committed suicide there earlier this week.

Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old African-American woman, was found hanging in a jail cell by a plastic bag on Monday, three days after being arrested during a traffic stop near Prairie View A&M University.

She had recently returned to Texas to take a job at the university, which she had graduated from in 2009.

The case became a national issue after friends and relatives in the Chicago-area questioned the circumstances surrounding her death, and said they didn't believe she would have committed suicide.

Texas Commission on Jail Standards Executive Director Brandon Wood said his agency found Waller County jail to be non-compliant with the two areas of the state's minimum jail standards - one with staff training and one with observation of inmates.

"Inmates are required to be observed at least once every 60 minutes and the Waller County Jail did not perform that observation as required," he said.

The jail was also not in compliance with minimum standards for training of staff dealing with the supervision of inmates who were mentally disabled or potentially suicidal, he said, explaining that there were "possible indicators" that Bland might have been suicidal.

Bland was given a standard mental health screening when she arrived at the jail, he said, adding that the commission's full report would not be available for several more days.

Joe Hester, the Chief Deputy at the Waller County Sheriff's Office who oversees operations at the jail, said his office was still reviewing the commission's findings.

"We'll be talking with our staff and doing our training," he said, referring additional questions to the Texas Rangers, who are investigating the suicide.

"We're always striving to do better, and will continue to do everything we can to make everything the way it's supposed to be," he said.

Bland's death went viral on social media, spawning hashtags like #IfIDieinPoliceCustody, #SandyBland and #WhatHappenedtoSandraBland.

On Friday, dozens of protesters gathered in Waller County in two separate protests, demanding more information about Bland's death.

"We want to know what happened to our sister," one organizer said as the protest began.

"A minor traffic infraction should not turn into death," said one of the organizers from the steps of the courthouse. It had been a short but hot walk from the jail where Sandra Bland was found dead. Protesters chanted in demand of answers. "No justice, no peace," the crowd of roughly 70 said in unison along the narrow roads of Hempstead en route to the courthouse.

At the courthouse, students and activists continued their calls for justice and transparency.

Students from Prairie View A&M University and Texas Southern University in Houston were among the speakers. "I see all these PV students here and I see family," said a student from TSU, saying he felt that Bland was like his sister.

Houston activist Quanell X commended the young people in the crowd for their activism.

"The elders have too much to lose," he said. But he urged everyone to apply pressure to the officials involved. "It's not passing the smell test," he said. The county sheriff, said Quanell X, sounded "like a child that got caught with a hand in the cookie jar," in the press conference held Thursday.

A resident from Prairie View said racism was nothing new for locals. But, LaVaughn Mosley, told the crowd, "the ways of the old days are over."

Officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety identified the trooper who initially stopped Bland as Brian Encinia. State records show the 30-year-old peace officer has been with the department for one year and one month, ever since earning his license. He graduated from Texas A&M, and earned his peace officer license in June 2014 after receiving 1511 hours of training from the agency.

DPS also has begun conducting an internal review of the traffic stop.

"In the preliminary review of the traffic stop that occurred in Prairie View on July 10, 2015, involving Sandra Bland, we have identified violations of the department's procedures regarding traffic stops and the department's courtesy policy," agency officials said in a statement Friday afternoon.

"Pending the outcome of the Texas Ranger and FBI investigation into this incident, [Encinia] involved has been assigned administrative duties."

The day before, DPS, which was handling the investigation Bland's death, asked the FBI to join the investigation.

The incident also prompted local and national politicians to press DPS and other state and federal agencies for more information.

On Thursday evening, State Senator Rodney Ellis sent a letter to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards - which monitors county jails across the state - asking for a thorough inspection of the jail.

"The family and the community deserve to know how this unfortunate loss of life occurred, whether there were any violations of procedures and protocols, and how this could have been prevented," he wrote, in the letter.

"I understand his concern, and we always try to be as responsive as we can," said Brandon Wood, the commission's executive director, adding that the commission said his staff would be looking into the jail.

"Any time there's a death in custody in a county jail, we do look into it, to ensure there were no violations of minimum jail standards," he said. "That's standard operating procedure."

In 2012, the commission also faulted the jail for not performing the checks as required by law.

That November, an inmate hanged himself with his bedsheets from an air-conditioning grate, authorities said. James Howell, 29, died a week after being booked into the jail.

Jailers discovered him about 10 minutes after they had last checked on him, records show. But an inspection after his death found the facility was not checking on inmates every hour, as required by state law.

Bland's death also attracted the attention of other local and national politicians. Texas Sen. Royce West, (D - Dallas) sent a letter to DPS Director Steve McCraw seeking the "immediate public release" of information DPS had recorded in its "observation, pursuit, and subsequent contact and arrest" of Bland.

"This detainment, arrest and the events that transpired have raised a number of questions for numerous persons, none more than myself," he said in the letter.

And in an interview yesterday, Houston-area Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee said she would be contacting the Department of Justice and asking officials there to further inquire into Bland's death.

"Hopefully we will be pursuing this to get an understanding how this young lady lost her life," she said.