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Sandra Bland jail footage released

Texas authorities released jail footage Tuesday of Sandra Bland, the woman found dead in her jail cell three days after she was arrested during a traffic stop. Officials say the video proves she was alive and unharmed when she was processed at the police station. Watch the press conference live.

'We have received death threats,' says Waller County judge

Sandra Bland jail video

9 years ago
Duration 4:35
CCTV footage from jail released to the media, and clips played at a news conference

Texas authorities on Tuesdayreleased jail footage of Sandra Bland, the woman found dead in her cell three days after her controversial arrest during atraffic stop.

Several hours of rawCCTVfootage from the jail were released to the media, and clips from the footage were played at apress conference.

"The reason we are doingthis is because of the misinformationthat has been put out boththrough social media andthemainstreammediathat has led tothe rumoursthat Sandra Bland was insome way deceased or harmed or not well when she was brought into theWallerCounty Jail,"WallerCountyJudge TreyDuhonsaid during a news conference in Hempstead, Texas.

The clips, which had no audio,showed several scenes, including Bland's arrival at the jail, her making calls at a central desk and her sitting in acell.

The clips played for reporters are part of a lengthier video, which was captured by motion sensitive camerastriggered by movement,Duhonsaid.

Online theories

The release of the footage is meant to counter varioustheories circulating onlineabout what exactly happened to Bland in jail, including one claiming that Bland was already deadwhen she had hermug shottaken.

"We have received death threats against Waller Countyofficials," said Duhon, the administrative head of the county."We have received threats against our facilities.

"People who are out there going througha lot of trouble to fabricate photographs andfabricate videos we are not going to stand idly by and let that happen."

Video clips showing Sandra Bland during her time in detention in Waller County, Texas, were shown to reporters Tuesday. (Waller County)

Video released Tuesdayincludes footage of Bland sitting in a holding cell, making a phone calland having her mug shot taken. She appears unharmed in the clips shown.

Bland, a black 28-year-old from suburban Chicago, was found dead in her jail cellon July 13, three days after she was stopped for failing to signal before changing lanes. Bland had recently moved to Texas, where she had lined up a new job at Prairie View A&M University.

Duhon said he doesn't see in the video any indication of Bland being mishandled or mistreated, but he said the investigation is ongoing. He said if anyone is found to have committed any violations, they will be prosecuted.

Toxicology report

Videoof her arrest,released earlier,shows a whitestate troopersaying, "I will light you up" after Bland refuses to put out her cigarette. The interactionescalated into a physical confrontation and Bland was eventually handcuffed and arrested.

Bland's family andsupportershavequestioned why she was arrested in the first place.

Sandra Bland is shown in happier times, before being arrested in Texas, and later being found dead in a jail cell. Texas officials today released footage of Bland taken while she was in jail. (Courtesy of Bland family/Associated Press)

Authorities have said Bland hanged herself with a garbage bag in her cell, a finding that her family disputes. Her family, who questioned the manner in which the officer handled the traffic stop,have said Blandwas happy about an upcoming move and a new job.

On Monday, an initial toxicology report was released that two experts said raised the possibility that she may have used marijuana while in custody.

The amount of THC, one of the active components of marijuana, in Bland's system was 18 micrograms per litre, according to the report. That's more than three times the legal limit for drivers in Colorado and Washington, states that permit the recreational use of marijuana.

The Texas Rangers and the FBI are investigating the case.

Corrections

  • An earlier version of this story said Bland was heading to a job at Texas A&M University. In fact, she had a job at Prairie View A&M University.
    Jul 28, 2015 5:27 PM ET

With files from The Associated Press