Page 11 - DESPA 23 MAART 2016
P. 11
U.S. NEWS A5
Wednesday 23 March 2016
Ex-Texas trooper pleads not guilty to perjury
Former Texas state trooper Brian Encinia, center, leaves the courtroom after an arraignment hear- sheriff’s officials or jailers
ing Tuesday, March 22, 2016, in Hempstead, Texas. in the death. Bland’s rela-
tives have filed a wrongful
Associated Press death lawsuit, and mem-
bers of her family were in
the courtroom Tuesday.
“I want an opportunity to
allow accountability to be
shown,” said Bland’s moth-
er, Geneva Reed-Veal, a
Chicago-area resident. “I
want answers as to what
happened to my daugh-
ter, but I still want it to hap-
pen in God’s way.”
Encinia’s next court hear-
ing is scheduled for May
17. The perjury charge is a
misdemeanor that carries
a maximum of one year in
jail and a $4,000 fine.
The Texas Department
of Public Safety early this
month formally fired En-
cinia over the stop. He can
appeal the decision.
JOHN L. MONE A grand jury indicted En-
Associated Press cinia in January for saying
HEMPSTEAD, Texas (AP) in an affidavit that he re-
— A fired Texas trooper moved a combative Bland
pleaded not guilty Tuesday from her car after stopping
to perjury stemming from her near Houston for a mi-
his arrest last summer of a nor traffic violation so he
black woman who was lat- could conduct a safer traf-
er found dead in a county fic investigation.
jail. Video of the stop shows En-
Brian Encinia entered his cinia drawing his stun gun
plea during a brief ap- and telling Bland, “I will light
pearance before a judge you up!” She can later be
as protesters gathered heard off-camera scream-
outside the courthouse. ing that he’s about to
One held a sign that read: break her wrists and com-
“What happened to San- plaining that he knocked
dra Bland?” her head into the ground.
Bland’s arrest captured Encinia’s affidavit stated he
on a police dash-camera “removed her from her ve-
video provoked national hicle to further conduct a
outrage and drew the at- safer traffic investigation,”
tention of the Black Lives but grand jurors found that
Matter movement. statement to be false.
Encinia’s attorney, Larkin Bland, who was in the pro-
Eakin, said after Tuesday’s cess of moving to Texas
arraignment that the per- from the Chicago area,
jury charge “represents a was found hanging from a
fundamental misunder- jail cell partition three days
standing of law enforce- after her arrest. A plastic
ment procedures.” He said garbage bag was around
Encinia acted properly dur- her neck.
ing the July 2015 traffic stop A medical examiner ruled
and Bland’s subsequent ar- it a suicide. A grand jury
rest. declined to charge any
