HOUSTON – Local leaders and community members met at Texas Southern University on Tuesday night to stop what they call an epidemic of police brutality after the death of Sandra Bland.
"I think it was one mistake to another mistake to another mistake and no one wants to take accountability for what happened," TSU law student Sonja McCoy said
Speakers included U.S. Rep. Al Green.
"She should not have died in that jail because, if at all, she should have been given a ticket and she should have been on her way," Green said.
Former Waller County Justice of the Peace, DeWayne Charleston also spoke.
"The climate in Waller County is bad. The climate in small towns all over Texas is bad," said Charleston.
The Earl Carl Institute for Legal and Social Policy Inc. organized the event on the same day Bland's family filed a federal lawsuit to get answers about her death.
"Justice is going to be served. If the justice system will do what it's supposed to do," said Bland's mother Geneva Reed-Veal.
Reed-Veal is the sole plaintiff on the suit. Defendants include State Trooper Brian Encinia, The Texas Department of Public Safety, Waller County and two other officers at the jail.
"We are looking for Waller County and the individuals involved in this situation to take accountability," said Bland family attorney Cannon Lambert.
It's something people at the forum said can only happen in the future if community members urge change.
"We have to come together as a community because it's not just a black and white issue. It's police against civilians doing what they want to do and it's not acceptable at all," McCoy said.
The Earl Carl Institute for Legal and Social Policy Inc. was taking recommendations and looking for volunteers to help. Click here if you are interested in volunteering.
Anger over Sandra Bland's death in a Texas jail has boiled over after newly released video showed what happened at the traffic stop that led to her arrest. Now, many question whether she should have been arrested at all.