HEMPSTEAD, Texas (AP) – The district attorney investigating the death of Sandra Bland says he’s bringing in a committee of outside attorneys to review evidence as it’s collected.
Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis said Monday that the panel of lawyers will help his office make decisions based on “credible evidence and not rumors.”
Mathis released an initial toxicology report Monday with findings that Bland had marijuana in her system at the time of her death.
Bland, who was black, died in the county jail after a traffic stop by a white state trooper for failing to use a turn signal escalated into a physical confrontation. Authorities have said Bland hanged herself, a finding her family disputes.
Her arrest has gotten international attention and questions about whether she was mistreated due to her race.