The death of Sandra Bland has gripped the nation since it flooded headlines earlier this month, once again highlighting a desperate need for a proper addressing of and proactive approach to widespread police reform. Bland was found dead in her Waller County, Texas jail cell on July 13 — with local authorities reporting that she had hanged herself. However — as the controversial video of her arrest and further details surrounding her booking process were unveiled — a different narrative started to take shape, inspiring weeks of outspoken distrust of the investigation and the implications therein.
On Monday, Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathistold reporters he had invited defense attorneys Lewis M. White and Darrell W. Jordan to join the investigation as a formal oversight committee, possibly in response to repeated calls from the public to employ an outside prosecutor. "There are many lingering questions regarding the death of Sandra Bland," Mathis said during the announcement. White and Jordan will likely be joined by at least two more attorneys, according to Houston Chronicle reporter Leah Binkovitz — who also tweeted a photo of the toxicology report:
Meanwhile, Fox News put on its Fox Newsbest worst — recently positing that Bland was attempting to attack the arresting officer with her cigarette, which is just as stupid as claiming that finding marijuana in Bland's system implies any sort of guilt or other less-than-innocent intentions. To avoid looking at their big dumb faces, simply peruse the brief exchange below via Daily Kos:
HASSELBECK: But, what if, I mean, there are times, I'm sure, someone has, in the history of this land, used a cigarette against a police officer, maybe chucked it at him, pushed it at him.
