Bland's family files wrongful death lawsuit

The lawsuit, with Bland's mother Geneva Reed-Veal as plaintiff, seeks unspecified punitive damages "for egregious acts and omissions" by Texas state trooper Brian Encinia, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Waller County, the sheriff's office and two jail employees.

"The bottom line is she never should have been inside the jail cell. Period," said Reed-Veal at a news conference on Tuesday.

Bland was in Prairie View, northwest of Houston, when she was stopped on July 10 for a minor traffic violation. A dashcam video showed that the confrontation swiftly escalated after she objected to being told to put out her cigarette.

Larry Simmons, an attorney for Waller County, said the county would soon file a response to the lawsuit "and our court filings will clearly articulate the county's legal position in this matter."

Jail personnel 'failed to keep Bland safe'

The lawsuit contends that Encinia falsified the assault allegation to take Bland into custody. It further alleges that Waller County jail personnel failed to keep her safe and free from psychological injury or harm, and that she was placed in a cell "with a variety of inappropriate items, including a large garbage can, garbage bags, exposed beams, cords, and other items."

An autopsy determined that Bland hanged herself from a partition in the cell. Her family has previously said she was looking forward to a new job.

Since her death, authorities have released the findings of Bland's autopsy, her arrest affidavit, an initial toxicology report, surveillance video showing her in the jail, her jail intake records and the dashcam video.

The Texas Department of Public Safety said in a statement that it had not received notice of the lawsuit "and we do not discuss potential or pending litigation."

av/cmk (AP, dpa)