Department of Justice

Sen. Dick Durbin Calls for Federal Probe Into Sandra Bland's Death

Durbin wrote a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch urging the investigation into "the arrest, incarceration, and death of Sandra Bland, a constituent of mine from Naperville, Illinois.

Sen. Dick Durbin has called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the death of suburban Chicago woman Sandra Bland, who was found hanged to death in a Texas jail cell earlier this month.

Durbin wrote a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch urging the investigation into "the arrest, incarceration, and death of Sandra Bland, a constituent of mine from Naperville, Illinois."

"Ms. Bland's family, her community, and all of those troubled by the disturbing series of events in this case deserve answers," Durbin continued in the letter. "In light of the many concerns regarding Ms. Bland's arrest and incarceration, and the uncertainty surrounding Ms. Bland's tragic death, I urge the Department of Justice to fully and thoroughly investigate this case."

An autopsy released Friday showed that Bland hanged herself with a clear plastic bag tied into a slipknot. Bland's family has disputed the account that she committed suicide, and they reaffirmed their belief during the funeral services Saturday.

"That baby did not take herself out," Geneva Reed-Veal, Bland's mother, said during the services.

Dashcam video showing her arrest was released Tuesday. After questions arose about whether the video was tampered with, the Department of Public Safety addressed the issue of irregularities in the footage, blaming a "technical issue during posting."

Several politicians, including Texas State Sen. Royce West, said that Bland should not have been arrested in the first place.

Bland was laid to rest at the DuPage American Methodist Episcopal Church in suburban Lisle, and Durbin was among those who spoke at the funeral.

Others have also called for a Department of Justice investigation into Bland's death, including the pastor at DuPage AME and Andrea Zopp, a Democratic contender in the 2016 Senate race.

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