NOW, MORE TRAGIC UPDATES ON THE SANDY BLAND STORY.
ONE GOOD UPDATE,
WE WILL HAVE OUTSIDE PROSECUTORS LOOKING INTO THIS.
THERE WILL BE A COMMISSION, AND THE COUNTY RECOGNIZES THAT
PEOPLE ARE CALLING OUT FOR IT, AND NOW THEY ARE SAYING, YES, WE
WILL BRING IN OUTSIDERS AND WE WELCOME A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION.
I THINK THE ANSWER AS TO WHETHER THE COP INSTIGATED THE SITUATION
THAT DIDN'T NEED TO GET
INSTIGATED IS OBVIOUS, WE SHOWED ALL THE VIDEOTAPES, HE IS THE
ONE THAT ESCALATED THROUGHOUT, HE IS THE ONE WHO SAYS I WILL
LET YOU UP, AND HE GETS MAD AT HER BECAUSE SHE WON'T PUT
OUT HER CIGARETTE, WHICH SHE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO SMOKE IN HER CAR.
SHE DID NOT HAVE TO BE IN JAIL CERTAINLY FOR THOSE THREE DAYS.
WHETHER SHE COMMITTED SUICIDE OR WAS KILLED INSIDE JAIL IS NOT
OBVIOUS, AND I HAVE SAID THIS
FROM DAY ONE.
SO NOW THERE ARE SOME SMALL PIECES OF NEW
EVIDENCE IN THAT REGARD.
THEY TALKED TO ALEXANDRIA PYLE,
SHE WAS IN INMATE IN THE NEXT CELL TO SANDY BLAND,
AND SHE SAYS SHE WAS CRYING, I COULD BARELY UNDERSTAND HER.
I WAS LIKE, IT IS OKAY.
IT CAN'T RAIN ALL THE TIME, IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT.
ODYSSEY REFERRING TO SANDY BLAND'S STATE OF MIND,
SHE THINKS SHE WAS DEPRESSED TO SOME DEGREE.
IF I HAD BEEN PUT IN PRISON FOR NO REASON AT ALL AND HAD
TO STAY THERE FOR THREE DAYS, I MIGHT GET DEPRESSED MYSELF.
SO NONE OF THIS IS OVERWHELMING IN TERMS OF EVIDENCE, BUT I AM
GIVING YOU ALL THE BACKGROUND SO
YOU KNOW.
PYLE SAID THAT BLAND WAS EAGER TO GET OUT OF JAIL AS SOON AS
HER BOND WAS SET SATURDAY.
THAT COULD GO EITHER WAY.
IF YOU ARE EAGER TO GET OUT, YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO COMMIT
SUICIDE, AND IF SHE THOUGHT THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN SOON,
ANOTHER RECENT SUICIDES OF THAT SEEM LOGICAL.
NOW SHE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN IN A LOGICAL STATE OF MIND.
PYLE EXPLAINS WHAT BLAND SAID, SHE SAID HE IS NOT ANSWERING.
REFERRING TO SOMEONE SHE HAD ASKED TO GET HER OUT OF JAIL.
IT IS GOING STRAIGHT TO VOICEMAIL, I DON'T KNOW WHY.
HE IS GOING TO BE HERE IN AN HOUR, AND IT IS DAYS LATER.
AGAIN, THAT PUTS YOU IN A FRAME OF MIND WHERE
SHE IS DESPONDENT.
THE THING THAT DRIVES ME CRAZY THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS IS
SHE SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN IN THAT STATE BECAUSE
SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN PRISON FOR THREE DAYS FOR WHAT?
DOING EVERYTHING SHE HAD A RIGHT TO DO?
THE GUY WROTE HER UP FOR A TICKET FOR NOT DOING A TURN
SIGNAL AS HE CAME UP BEHIND HER AND SCARED HER,
AND SHE WAS SHIFTING LANES TO GET OUT OF HIS WAY?
FINE, YOU WROTE HER UP FOR A TICKET.
MOVE ALONG.
NO, YOU HAVE TO DRAG HER OUT OF THE CAR
AND INTO PRISON FOR RESISTING ARREST.
WHAT WAS SHE RESISTING IN THE FIRST PLACE?
THAT'S RIGHT, THERE WAS NO REASON TO ARREST HER IN THE
FIRST PLACE, AND HE CHANGES HIS STORY IN THE MIDDLE BECAUSE HE
SAYS I DIDN'T MEAN RESISTING ARREST, I MEANT SHE KEPT ME.
I'M SURE SHE DID.
NOW TO THE AUTOPSY, THE AUTOPSY NOTES A WHITE TRASH BAG WAS
USED AS A LIGATURE, TIED INTO A KNOT THAT FORMS A CIRCLE
AND ONE IN ANY KNOTTED AREA AT THE OPPOSITE ENDS.
THAT DOES NOT GIVE YOU MUCH GUIDANCE, BECAUSE YES,
SHE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT,
OR SOMEBODY ELSE DID IT, SO THAT DOES NOT CUT EITHER WAY.
WHETHER SHE WAS KILLED AHEAD OF TIME AND THEN HUNG,
THAT WOULD BE ENORMOUSLY IMPORTANT AND RELEVANT, BUT
THE CORONER SAYS THAT IS NOT THE CASE, AND THAT IT WAS A SUICIDE.
THERE IS AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION THAT WILL SEE
IF THE CORNER IS RIGHT.
ONE MORE THING FROM THE AUTOPSY THEY COULD BE RELEVANT,
BLAND HAD 25 TO 30 CUT MARKS ON HER LEFT FOREARM.
SO DID SOMEBODY ELSE TO THAT WEST OF OBVIOUSLY SOME BELIEVE
THAT SHE DID THAT, AND IT IS GOING TO HER STATE OF MIND AS TO
WHY SHE MIGHT HAVE COMMITTED
SUICIDE IF THAT IS THE CASE.
OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE THAT AT ALL,
INCLUDING HER MOM, WHO SPOKE AT HER FUNERAL THIS WEEKEND.
SHE SAID, THIS IS GENEVA RITA VEALE, I AM THE MAMA
AND I'M TELLING YOU MY BABY DID NOT TAKE YOURSELF OUT.
THE FACT IS, I AM THE MAMA.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
YOU THINK YOU ARE MAD?
I AM MAD TOO.
IF I WAS THE MOTHER IN THIS CASE, I WOULD BE INCREDIBLY MAD.
SO WHETHER IT IS A SUICIDE, WE DON'T KNOW,
AND THEY DEFINITELY SHOULD FURTHER INVESTIGATE,
SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO BE IN THE JAIL CELL IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SOME DISAGREE.
THIS IS WHERE FOX NEWS COMES IN.
THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK -- IT IS
SO UNBELIEVABLE, I WANT YOU TO SEE IT FOR YOURSELF.
WATCH THIS.
IT IS TENSE TO WATCH.
WHERE WOULD YOU SAY HE WENT OVER THE LINE?
IT APPEARS HE TOOK THIS TO PERSONAL
WHEN SHE DID NOT PUT UP A CIGARETTE.
NOW YOU ARE TAKING HER OUT OF THE CAR.
THESE CAMERAS THE OFFICERS ARE WEARING, YOU LIVE
AND DIE WITH WHAT YOU SAY IS THIS.
IT APPEARS LOOKING AT THIS
BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T PUT UP A CIGARETTE,
NEXT THING YOU KNOW HE IS ASKING HER TO STEP OUT OF THE VEHICLE.
YOU CAN TAKE IT PERSONAL.
WHAT IF, IN THE HISTORY OF THIS LAND THERE ARE TIMES WHEN
SOMEBODY USED A CIGARETTE AS A WEAPON AGAINST AN OFFICER.
IF HE FELT THAT WAS A THREAT, WAS THAT A WISE THING TO DO?
I THINK YOU HAVE TO SAY, LISTEN,
YOU NEED TO SIGN THIS WARNING.
I WOULD NOT WANT SOMEBODY STEPPING OUT WITH A CIGARETTE.
I HAVE HAD SOMEBODY TRY TO PUT A CIGARETTE OUT ON ME, IT HAPPENS.
I GUARANTEE IF YOU SPEAK TO MANY COPS,
BUT THE WAY YOU SAY IT, UNFORTUNATELY THESE
OFFICERS HAVE TO REMEMBER IT IS BEING RECORDED.
SO THIS FORMER NYPD OFFICER, JOHN RAFFERTY,
IS NOT HELPING MATTERS, IF YOU ASK ME.
HE SAYS, REMEMBER, YOU ARE BEING RECORDED.
IF YOU WEREN'T BEING RECORDED,
YOU CAN KICK THE CRAP OUT OF HER, RESTAURANT, MAKE UP CHARGES
LIKE WE ALWAYS DO, BUT REMEMBER, YOU LIVE AND DIE BY THIS.
SHE LITERALLY DIED.
DON'T SAY THE COP LIVES AND DIES BY IT,
BECAUSE YOU CAN GET IN TROUBLE FOR THE ASS KICKING TO BE
USED TO DO ON A REGULAR BASIS BEFORE WE WERE BEING RECORDED.
SO I HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS WITH RAFFERTY,
BUT HE OF THE TWO IS A REASONABLE ONE.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK TALKING ABOUT THE CIGARETTE HAVE
BEEN A WEAPON?
WHEN IT COMES TO BLACK PEOPLE, WHAT ISN'T A WEAPON?
THERE WAS ONCE A GUY SHOT FAIRLY RECENTLY, WE DID IT ON THE SHOW,
NOT ONLY UNARMED BUT NAKED.
WHAT WAS HIS WEAPON?
THERE WAS A GUY WITH A TOY GUN,
A GUY WITH WALMART AT A TOY GUN, THEY ARE ALL WEAPONS.
EVERYTHING IS A WEAPON.
YOU REACH FOR THE WAISTBAND.
ANOTHER GUY, NOT BLACK, LATINO, HAS HIS ARMS UP,
SHOWS HIS HAT, THE HEAD COULD'VE BEEN A WEAPON.
NOW A CIGARETTE COULD HAVE BEEN A WEAPON.
HAVE YOU NO DECENCY AT ALL?
AND THE REALITY IS, ELISABETH HASSELBECK AND FOX NEWS
ANSWER THAT EVERY TIME WITH ABSOLUTELY NOT, NO DECENCY.
DOESN'T CARE THAT SANDY BLAND DIED IN THAT JAIL CELL.
THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT AT ALL, THE QUESTION IS,
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE BLAME THE PERSON WHO IS DEAD?
HOW DO WE BLAME THE BLACK PERSON IN THIS CASE?
THAT IS FOX NEWS 101.
MAYBE HER CIGARETTE COULD HAVE BEEN A WEAPON.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY LIVE WITH THEMSELVES, MAN.
DESPICABLE.
DON'T YOU STOP FOR A SECOND AND THINK, LIKE, THAT IS A HUMAN
BEING?
I KNOW YOU DON'T CARE MUCH FOR MINORITIES, RIGHT,
BUT IT IS A BLACK HUMAN BEING, BUT IT IS STILL A HUMAN BEING.
DON'T YOU THINK, THAT IS A SHAME WHAT HAPPENED.
EVEN IF YOU THINK IT IS A SUICIDE, ISN'T THAT A TRAGEDY?
NO, FOR ELISABETH HASSELBECK IT IS NOT A TRAGEDY.
THE TRAGEDY IS SOME COP GOT CAUGHT ON TAPE,
AND WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN EXCUSE THAT
SO THAT HE DOESN'T LIVE AND DIE BY THAT DECISION.