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Sandra Bland autopsy: No signs of violent struggle

Screenshot from Department of Public Safety dash cam video shows Sandra Bland as she exits her car after DPS officer Brian Encinia has drawn his taser on July 10, 2015.
Department of Public Safety

Initial findings of Sandra Bland's autopsy report did not show signs of a violent struggle, Waller County officials said Thursday.

The autopsy report, which was described by a Waller County prosecutor who has reviewed it, also said Bland had a “substantial” amount of marijuana in her system when she died, according to preliminary toxicology results.

The prosecutor, Warren Diepraam, said he expects the autopsy report will be made public Friday.

Bland was found hanged to death in her cell at the Waller County jail three days after she was arrested in connection with assaulting a public servant during a July 10 altercation with Brian Encinia, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper.

Her death was ruled a suicide by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

However, the probe into Bland's death is being conducted with the rigor and breadth of a murder investigation, Elton Mathis, Waller County's district attorney, said Monday at a news conference. The investigation will include forensic DNA and fingerprint testing of the plastic bag Bland appears to have used to hang herself, Mathis said.

The July 10 altercation ensued when Encinia pulled Bland over for failing to signal when changing lanes outside Prarie View A&M University, where she was scheduled to start a new job.

DPS released the dashboard camera video of the stop Tuesday, which showed Encinia losing his temper after Bland refused to put out a cigarette and exit her vehicle. Encinia threatened to stun Bland with his Taser and ultimately arrested her. Throughout the exchange, Bland became increasingly agitated, at times yelling and swearing at Encinia.

Terri Langford contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at http://www.texastribune.org/2015/07/23/officials-release-sandra-bland-autopsy-report/.