Family of Sandra Bland files lawsuit against DPS trooper

The family of Sandra Bland filed a lawsuit Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, at a federal court in Houston against the DPS trooper they believe is responsible for the 28-year-old woman's death. The family of Sandra Bland filed a lawsuit Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, at a federal court in Houston against the DPS trooper they believe is responsible for the 28-year-old woman's death. Photo: Cody Duty, Houston Chronicle Photo: Cody Duty, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 161 Caption Close Family of Sandra Bland files lawsuit against DPS trooper 1 / 161 Back to Gallery

The mother of Sandra Bland filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the Texas Department of Public Safety trooper and several others she deems responsible for the death of her 28-year-old daughter at the Waller County Jail in mid-July.

Geneva Reed-Veal is seeking a jury trial and unspecified monetary damages in her wrongful death suit against DPS trooper Brian Encinia; Waller County jail screening officers Elsa Magnus and Oscar Prudente; Waller County; and the DPS.

"What happened to Sandy Bland?" Reed-Veal told members of the press, asking the question she hopes the lawsuit can answer and echoing a hashtag that has gained traction on social media: #WhatHappenedtoSandraBland.

Reed-Veal rubbed the back of her daughter Sharon Cooper as she explained that although the family still hasn't seen enough evidence to convince them that Bland's death was a suicide, they are prepared to accept whatever the truth turns out to be. Cooper emphasized that whatever the cause, Bland should not have died in jail.

"What remains constant is that she should not have been there in the first place," Cooper said.

The lawsuit follows weeks of national controversy surrounding the July 10 arrest of Bland, whose death has been ruled a suicide by the medical examiner. Her hanging came three days after Encinia pulled Bland over for failure to signal a lane change, and within minutes, ordered Bland out of the car, threatened her with a taser, pinned her to the ground and arrested her.

Based on dashcam video, DPS officials said the arrest was overly aggressive. Encinia was assigned to on desk duty.

According to the 46-page lawsuit, Encinia "demonstrated a deliberate indifference to and conscious disregard for the constitutional rights and safety of Sandra Bland." It noted that Encinia previously was reprimanded for "unprofessional conduct" and faulted Texas DPS for improper training, saying the agency should have known he "exhibited a pattern of escalating encounters with the public."

In addition, the lawsuit accuses Magnus and Prudente, screening officers at the Waller County Jail, for inadequately monitoring Bland and failing to provide proper medical care when she was found injured in her cell.

Waller County deserves blame, according to the lawsuit, for not providing sufficient training to jail staff for handling inmates "who are mentally disabled and/or potentially suicidal." The suit also said the jail failed to have a procedure for jailers to make face-to-face observations of all inmates at least once every hour.

Waller County Judge Trey Duhon, Sheriff R. Glenn Smith and DPS officials did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday morning. District Attorney Elton Mathis referred comment to Larry Simmons, the private attorney on contract to represent the county in civil cases.

Simmons said in an emailed statement that the county "expresses its sympathy to Sandra Bland's family."

"We look forward to presenting all the evidence to the Court, in the context of the applicable standards for civil liability, and intend to vigorously defend the case," read the statement. "We will be filing a response soon, and our court filings will clearly articulate the County's legal position in this matter."