http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/16/1402770/-Texas-Sheriff-involved-in-the-death-of-Sandra-Bland-fired-from-previous-post-for-racism?detail=email
Sandra Bland died in police custody this past Monday. Visiting Texas from Chicago to interview for a college job at her alma mater of Prairie View A&M, she was pulled over for a routine traffic violation (failure to use her turn signal). Everything from that point forward screams racism and foul play, including her death in the Waller County jail Monday.
The first red flag is that Bland was officially arrested on Friday for assaulting a police officer. What we see from a bystander video is her telling the officers she is in pain and cannot hear after her head was slammed on the ground by the male arresting officer. The video is below.
We have now learned that Waller County Sheriff Glenn Smith, who made the first public comments about Bland's in-custody death, was suspended for documented cases of racism when he was chief of police in Hempstead, Texas, in 2007. After serving his suspension, more complaints of racism came in, and Smith was actually fired as chief of police in Hempstead:
Council members are reviewing video of four arrests and detentions over the past month. The officers and police chief, who are the targets of the complaints, are white. Some residents are calling for a third of the city's 15 person police force to be suspended, disciplined, or fired.
Allegations of racism have led to the Hempstead police chief being suspended and ordered to take anger management classes.
The Hempstead city council has been reviewing the case since last week and finally came to a decision at around 2am Tuesday. A number of residents have come forward with claims of racism by at least four white police officers.
The council reviewed the complaints, along with videotapes before making their decision to punish Chief Glen Smith. Some say it wasn't enough. The chief says he respects the decision.
"My action during the arrest did not meet professionalism as it should with language and I'm not above policy and procedure, no more than any officer of this city," said Chief Smith.
It would seem that once a law enforcement officer—a chief of police no less—is suspended and then fired for racism and abuse, his ability to serve in law enforcement would cease.
what is it with the intensity of what seems to be personal anger especially of late with our women and police slamming their heads into the ground or pavement and knees in the back and back of neck these guys are operating like WWE gone wild with young women of color. when arrested pretty much everywhere they take anything that could be used as an instrument to hang yourself shoe laces, belts, scarfs so why would they supply plastic trash bags big enough to hang yourself, still holding my nose.
those are not acts of making an arrest or restraining for just a failure to signal a turn wonder does that cop signal every time he turns???? i heard there was 84 or so detained that weekend but she was put in a cell of her own that by itself stinks of intent to do bodily harm let's see what passes for justice don't get to enthusiastic it's Texas.
