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Sandra Bland Death: Texas Officials Release More Footage From Jail, Following Threats

The footage appears to show Bland after first arriving at the jail, and was released to silence critics who believe her death is part of a cover-up.
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Texas authorities released additional video footage Tuesday of Sandra Bland in jail earlier this month — meant to silence online critics who claim she was already dead before she got there.

Waller County Judge Trey Duhon said the several hours of footage was also made public following death threats made to local officials.

Bland, 28, was found hanging by a garbage bag in her cell on July 13, three days after her arrest during a routine traffic stop. An autopsy released last week said her injuries were consistent with suicide.

"This video should demonstrate that people who are out there going through a lot of trouble to spread lies and mis-truths on Waller County — we are not going to stand idly by and allow that to happen," Duhon said at a news conference.

Related: Mourners Attend Illinois Funeral for Sandra Bland Who Died in Texas Jail

He said that the online hacktavist group Anonymous is accusing the sheriff's department of trying to cover up Bland's death and spread rumors that she was already deceased by the time her mugshot was taken.

But the latest footage shows Bland after first arriving at the Waller County Jail, Duhon said. She is seen being interviewed, as well as after changing into an orange jumpsuit and making several phone calls. The video also shows her being taken into a cell, then later moved into another.

"Sandra Bland was alive and well," Duhon told reporters.

Meanwhile, the sheriff's department is investigating online death threats made to county officials.

"I don't want to get into too many details. We are not going to take any threat lightly," Duhon said. "We are evaluating all the threats as they happen."

Related: The Death of Sandra Bland: What We Know So Far

Dashcam video was first released one week ago when Bland was pulled over after failing to signal a lane change. The suburban Chicago woman had just moved back to the area, northwest of Houston, after taking a job at her alma mater, Prairie View A&M University, her family said.

They have disputed that she would have committed suicide. But Bland had a history of depression, and according to jail forms, there were conflicting statements about when and whether she had previously attempted suicide.

The case has drawn national attention in the wake of police brutality and racial bias. Bland was an outspoken civil rights advocate.