HEMPSTEAD, Texas (AP) – A misdemeanor perjury charge has been dismissed against a fired Texas state trooper in a case arising from his 2015 arrest of Sandra Bland, a black woman who was later found dead in a county jail.
Court documents show the charge against Brian Encinia was dropped Wednesday after he agreed to surrender his state law enforcement license and certification and to never again seek work in law enforcement in any capacity. Encinia also agreed to never seek to have the charge against him expunged – and to have the case against him renewed if he violated the agreement.
A Waller County grand jury had indicted Encinia after video from his patrol car contradicted his claims that Bland assaulted him without provocation during her arrest.