BREAKING NEWS- On Thursday afternoon, Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced that all six officers charged in relation to 25-year-old Freddie Gray‘s death have been indicted by a grand jury.
On May 1, Mosby announced that Sgt. Alicia D. White, Lt. Brian W. Rice, and Officers Caesar R. Goodson Jr., Garrett E. Miller, Edward M. Nero, and William G. Porter would be charged with various crimes related to Gray’s April 12 death while in police custody. Gray had been stopped (illegally, according to Mosby) for possible possession of an illegal switch-blade knife (which he didn’t ultimately have), and he suffered a spinal injury somewhere along the encounter, which included a ride in the back of a police van without proper restraints.
The charges range from assault to involuntary manslaughter to second-degree murder.
HOMICIDE! Freddie Gray's Death, Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby FULL SPEECH
BREAKING: All 6 police officers in Freddie Gray case indicted by grand jury, Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby says
BREAKING: Death of Freddie Gray Ruled Homicide, Arrest was Illegal, Cops Charged with Murder. Baltimore City State's Attorney: Freddie Gray's Death Determined a Homicide Freddie Gray Investigation: Six Cops Charged in His Death
(NBC News) A Baltimore prosecutor announced criminal charges on Friday against six police officers in the arrest of Freddie Gray, whose death after suffering a spinal cord injury in police custody touched off riots.
Related: Man In Van With Freddie Gray Says Police Account Not True 'I’m Donta Allen. I am the one that was in the van with Freddie Gray. All they did was go straight to the station, but I heard a little banging, like, he was banging his head. They trying to make it seem like I told them that I made it like Freddie Gray did that to his self, Why the f-ck would he do that to his self?'
One officer, the driver of the van that carted Gray away after his arrest, was charged with second-degree murder. Other charges against the six officers included manslaughter and assault. The prosecutor, Marilyn Mosby, said that the arrest of Gray was illegal.
"I assured his family that no one is above the law and that I would pursue justice on their behalf," she said at a press conference, where cheers went up when she announced the charges.
She said warrants were out for the officers' arrest, but she said she did not know whether they were yet in custody.
Gray, 25, was arrested April 12 and died a week later. His was the latest case in a national debate about police tactics. In Baltimore, dozens of people were arrested during civil unrest on Monday night, including riots, looting and fires.
Mosby said that Gray repeatedly asked for medical attention during his ride from the scene of his arrest to the booking site. The officers failed to get him any help, she said.
"A medic was finally called to the scene, where the medic determined that Mr. Gray was in cardiac arrest," she said. Baltimore's police commissioner said Thursday that his department had handed over confidential information on how Gray died to prosecutors. Meanwhile, the Justice Department is also working on its own independent investigation.
Mosby said in Friday's news conference that her office had been investigating Gray's death independently of police's investigation.
"We knew that this was a serious case," she said. "From day one, we investigated. We're not just relying solely on what we were given by the police department."
The Baltimore police officers union sent a letter to Mosby coming to the defense of the six before she announced the charges.
"As tragic as this situation is, none of the officers involved are responsible for the death of Mr. Gray," Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3 President Gene wrote. "To the contrary, at all times, each of the officers diligently balanced their obligations to protect Mr. Gray and discharge their duties to protect the public."
Mosby comes from five generations of police officers. She was sworn in as state's attorney in January after a surprise win in November, and spoke out against police brutality during her campaign.
"Police brutality is completely inexcusable. I'm going to apply justice fairly, even to those who wear a badge," she told the Baltimore Sun.
Mosby's husband, Nick Mosby, is a Baltimore city councilman who has spoken out about the riots. She said Friday she did not see this as presenting a conflict of interest. "I uphold the law, he makes the law," she said.
Posted By: Dea. Ron Gray Sr.
Friday, May 22nd 2015 at 8:30AM
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