WALLER COUNTY, Texas — New cellphone video obtained by the nonprofit Investigative Network shows Sandra Bland's notorious arrest from her perspective.
Her family claims they had never seen the video and are calling for the case to be reopened against the trooper who pulled her over.
“Open up the case, period,” said Bland’s sister Shante Needham when reporter Brian Collister showed her the video.
But on Tuesday, investigators and special prosecutor Darrell Jordan pushed back saying the video was considered during the original investigation.
Former Trooper Brian Encinia’s lawyer said Bland’s cellphone was given back to her family years ago.
"It was part of the evidence that was considered since day one," Encinia's attorney Chip Lewis said. "It actually goes towards the defense I put forth that he did what he was required to do under the law and his training which was remove her from the potential threat."
Encinia was indicted for perjury, but the charge was dropped in exchange for him never working in law enforcement again.
Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis, who can reopen the investigation, issued the following statement in response to those calls to re-open the case:
“Five special prosecutors were appointed to consider the evidence. The grand jury was diligent and considering the facts and circumstances considering the arrest and her subsequent death of Ms. Bland. I have no knowledge at this time of new evidence to second guess the work of those five prosecutors or the grand jury.”
Texas DPS also released a statement about Bland’s cellphone video:
“The cellphone recording is referenced by Ms. Bland in the dash cam video that was released by the department on July 22, 2015. The video recording from Ms. Bland’s cellphone was specifically identified multiple times in the Ranger Report of Investigation. The Ranger report was made available to all the litigants during the civil litigation filed by her family. At all times, the department complied with its discovery obligations in the civil litigation.
"Additionally, the video from Ms. Bland’s cellphone has been treated as public information and made available upon request (see attached). Brian Collister, the reporter who describes the video as “newly discovered,” filed a public information request back in August 2017. Mr. Collister specifically requested the video from Ms. Bland’s cellphone, and the department provided the video to Mr. Collister at that time. Again, we reiterate that the video is not newly discovered and has in no way been concealed by the department.”
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