Illinois

Lawyer: $1.9 million settlement in Sandra Bland lawsuit

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Geneva Reed-Veal, left, mother of Sandra Bland, a black Chicago-area woman who died in a Texas jail after a contentious traffic stop last summer, talks about the $1.9 million settlement in their wrongful death lawsuit, at family's attorney's office, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016, in Chicago. Bland died in her cell at the Waller County Jail three days after she was arrested by a white Texas state trooper for a minor traffic offense in July 2015. Her death was ruled a suicide, and Bland's family later sued the county and the Texas Department of Public Safety. (AP Phoro/Kiichiro Sato) (The Associated Press)

Geneva Reed-Veal, left, mother of Sandra Bland, a black Chicago-area woman who died in a Texas jail after a contentious traffic stop last summer, talks about the $1.9 million settlement in their wrongful death lawsuit, at family's attorney's office, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016, in Chicago. Bland died in her cell at the Waller County Jail three days after she was arrested by a white Texas state trooper for a minor traffic offense in July 2015. Her death was ruled a suicide, and Bland's family later sued the county and the Texas Department of Public Safety. (AP Phoro/Kiichiro Sato) (The Associated Press)

Geneva Reed-Veal, left, mother of Sandra Bland, a black Chicago-area woman who died in a Texas jail after a contentious traffic stop last summer, talks about the $1.9 million settlement in their wrongful death lawsuit, at family's attorney's office, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016, in Chicago. Bland died in her cell at the Waller County Jail three days after she was arrested by a white Texas state trooper for a minor traffic offense in July 2015. Her death was ruled a suicide, and Bland's family later sued the county and the Texas Department of Public Safety. (AP Phoro/Kiichiro Sato) (The Associated Press)

A lawyer for the family of Sandra Bland, a black Chicago-area woman who died in a Texas jail after a contentious traffic stop last summer, says a $1.9 million settlement has been reached in the family's wrongful death lawsuit.

Attorney Cannon Lambert tells Houston television station KTRK the settlement includes a provision that the Waller County Jail have a 24-hour nurse or emergency medical technician on duty.

Authorities have said Bland killed herself three days after she was arrested by a state trooper for a minor traffic offense. Bland's family later sued the county and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

County officials, the sheriff's office and their lawyer didn't immediately return messages Thursday from The Associated Press. Bland's sister also didn't immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment.