Wasn't there a report that stated she had battled depression in the past and maybe even a previous suicide attempt?
Yes. As best I an follow the record she admitted to a previous suicide attempt once and twice denied ever having been suicidal. Suicide watch, even via video, eats up personnel. Given the ambiguity of her statements I can understand why she was not put is a stripped cell clothed in an anti-suicide gown and checked even every 15 minutes. Not necessarily condoning it, but able to see why.
For 2+ days she was checked on at a minimum 6 times a day - meals, just before lights out and some time in the middle of the night, with no indication of despondency or suicidal ideation. Is there going to be a new requirement for a mental health evaluator for every prisoner? If so, how often? (Unless you are going to go by "Do you feel like offing yourself?" as an evaluation it's going to take at least 5 minutes per prisoner.) Will the taxpayers stand for three full-time BA-level MH techs, which still creates a huge liability exposure due to the low level of education, training, and experience?
The trooper is at least indirectly responsible for her death because she never should have been in jail. Injustice piled on injustice: I can see how that might cause someone to take their own life.
All of the reasons why she should never have been pulled over or ordered/taken out of the vehicle aside, actions have consequences and assaulting a police officer has never been shown to have a good consequence.
Some cops are megalomaniacs and should be culled. Most cops are complicit accomplices before, during and after the fact for not standing up and reporting those who are out of control. But none of that changes the fact that folks are going to have to learn that for their own safety if for no other reason that the place to argue with a cop is in the courtroom. It's going to be that way until enough cops are found to have violated rights that the taxpayers get tired of paying for their behavior and the courts stop allowing qualified immunity to be a universal shield. At some point the fictional "reasonable employee" should be expected to know what the settled law is and follow it.
But to get back to the original point - at some point folks are going to have to stop looking for someone else to blame for everything that happens and recognize that they are responsible for their circumstances.
stay safe.