Bland family settles for $1.9 million in wrongful death lawsuit
Late Wednesday, the mother of Sandra Bland reached a tentative agreement with the state and Waller County officials. She called the deal a “victory for moms.” Bland’s death in the Waller County Jail after her arrest during a controversial traffic stop gained national attention and was a flash point for the national Black Lives Matter movement. Bland’s mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, filed the wrongful death lawsuit in Houston against Waller County and the Texas Department of Public Safety. The settlement includes de-escalation training for troopers and jail reforms. It also calls for improved screening for suicide prevention, especially at rural jails like Waller’s which lack mental health units.