Last month, a grand jury declined to indict trooper Brian Encinia of the Texas Department of Public Safety or anyone else from the Waller County Sheriff’s Office for the sudden death of 28-year-old Sandra Bland. Bland was arrested by Encinia after a traffic stop turned confrontational, and was found hanging from a noose in her cell days later.
After the initial decision not to hand down any indictments, Darrell Jordan, a special prosecutor in the case, said that the grand jury would reconvene in January to consider other matters. On Wednesday, he announced that Encinia would face perjury charges in connection with the written statement he made at the time of the incident, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The charge, a misdemeanor, carries a possible jail sentence of no more than one year and a fine of up to $4,000. Separately, Bland’s family is also engaged in a wrongful death suit against Encinia and several other defendants.