Trooper Brian Encinia has been indicted with a misdemeanour count by a grand jury in Waller County.
It is alleged he lied about how he removed 28-year-old Sandra Bland from her vehicle during the traffic stop in July last year.
In the aftermath of the charge being revealed, the Texas Department of Public Safety said it would sack Encinia.
The same grand jury decided last month not to indict any sheriff's officials or jailers in connection with Ms Bland's death, which was ruled a suicide.
She remained in prison following her arrest because she could not raise around $500 for bail.
Encinia, who was placed on paid desk duty after Bland was found dead in her cell, also faces a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Ms Bland's family.
The misdemeanour charge carries a maximum penalty of a year in prison and a $4,000 (£2,700) fine.
The officer pulled over Ms Bland on 10 July for making an improper lane change close to Prairie View A&M University.
Ms Bland had been for an interview at her alma mater and had accepted a job offer.
Dashcam video from Encinia's patrol car showed the incident quickly became confrontational.
At one point, the trooper could be seen holding a stun gun and shouting, "I will light you up!" after Ms Bland refused to get out of her car.
Ms Bland eventually got out, and Encinia ordered her to the side of the road.
The confrontation continued off-camera but was still audible.
Ms Bland was eventually arrested for assault on a public servant.
Police said Bland "became argumentative and uncooperative" during the traffic stop, and Encinia wrote in an arrest affidavit that Ms Bland swung her elbows at him and kicked him in the shin.
She was taken in handcuffs by another officer to the county prison in nearby Hempstead.
Three days later Ms Bland was found hanging from a prison cell partition with a plastic bin bag around her neck.
Her family said they were trying to get the bail money when they learned of her death.
No comments:
Post a Comment