Texas Businesswoman Sandra Bland Dies in Police Custody Stories like this are on rewind! A 27-year-old college graduate, Sandra Bland was on her way to her new job in Texas when she was pulled over by Hempstead, Texas police for failing to signal when changing lanes. Video surfaced from the traffic stop showing a police officer slamming Sandra Bland to the ground while another officer held her down as well. The officers claimed she was combative which required them to get physical. However, according to the video recorded by a witness, Bland doesn't appear combative but is heard yelling that they slammed her head into the ground so hard she couldn't hear! What's worse is that they threw her in jail and three days later she was dead. The county sheriff claims she died of suicide by asphyxiation...but this is the same sheriff who was fired from his post as Chief of Police in Hempstead, Texas in 2007 for racism and abuse against black people! Why was he allowed back into law enforcement at all?