*Close to four months after the death of Sandra Bland, her sister is appealing to Attorney General Loretta Lynch to help uncover the truth.
Penning an open letter on The Root to Lynch, Sharon Cooper reached out for the attorney general to take action in the case in light of her family’s confidence being shaken by “numerous inconsistencies.”
“Our confidence in the local investigation to date has been shaken by numerous inconsistencies,” Cooper wrote. “Our family has been given limited information about the case, while Waller County, Texas, jailers have had unfettered access to the crime scene. Almost everything we know about what happened to my sister has come from the media, not the prosecutor’s office that is responsible for helping to ensure justice for my family.”
Cooper’s request is the latest development in the aftermath of Bland’s death, which resulted after she was stopped in traffic by police for allegedly signaling a lane change improperly on July 10. According to reports, Bland was forced out of her vehicle and slammed onto the ground before she was arrested.
Bland was later found unresponsive in her jail cell around 9 a.m. on July 13 as officers performed CPR on her. Shortly after, the 28-year-old was pronounced dead.
Although police claimed Bland committed suicide, her family, who believes she did not hang herself, disputes the reason.
“On behalf of my family, I ask you to take action. You have the power to bring together the necessary resources to find the truth and investigate Sandy’s death as well as the ongoing problems in Waller County and Texas that led to her death,” Cooper wrote. “Unless you take action, it’s likely my family will be denied the justice we deserve and the people of Texas will be denied the change they deserve,” she pleaded.
To read Cooper’s letter in its entirety, click here.
