 | |
| Date | April 12, 2015 (incident) April 19, 2015 (Gray's death) |
|---|---|
| Location | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Type | Homicide, police killing |
| Cause | Spinal cord injury |
| Filmed by | Two witnesses to Gray's arrest, store video of police van |
| Participants | Freddie C. Gray, six Baltimore police officers |
| Burial | April 27, 2015 |
| Inquiries | U.S. Department of Justice; Baltimore Police Department |
| Accused |
|
| Charges | Goodson:
Others: |
| Verdict |
|
| Litigation | The City of Baltimore settled at $6.4 million prior to the Gray's family filing to sue |
On April 12, 2015, Freddie Carlos Gray Jr., a 25-year-old African American, was arrested by the Baltimore Police Department for possession of a knife. While in police custody, Gray sustained fatal injuries and was taken to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. Gray's death on April 19, 2015, was ascribed to injuries to his cervical spinal cord.
Pending an investigation of the incident, six Baltimore police officers were suspended. Commissioner Anthony W. Batts reported that officers had not secured Gray inside the van while driving to the police station, contrary to a policy that had been put into effect six days prior to Gray's arrest.[2] The medical examiner's office concluded that Gray's death could not be ruled an accident, and was instead a homicide, because officers failed to follow safety procedures. Baltimore City State's Attorney, Marilyn Mosby announced her office had filed charges against six police officers after the medical examiner's report ruled Gray's death a homicide.
Prosecutors found probable cause to file criminal charges against the six police officers who were believed to be involved in his death. The officer driving the van was charged with second-degree depraved-heart murder for his indifference to the considerable risk that Gray might be killed, and others were charged with crimes ranging from manslaughter to illegal arrest. A grand jury indicted the officers on most of the original charges filed by Mosby with the exception of the charges of illegal imprisonment and false arrest, and added charges of reckless endangerment to all the officers involved.
Gray's hospitalization and subsequent death resulted in a series of protests. A major protest in downtown Baltimore turned violent, resulting in 34 arrests and injuries to 15 police officers. After Gray's funeral, civil disorder intensified with looting and burning of local businesses and a CVS drug store, culminating with a state of emergency declaration by Governor Larry Hogan, Maryland National Guard deployment to Baltimore, and the establishment of a curfew. On May 3, the National Guard started withdrawing from Baltimore, and on that night the curfew on the city was lifted.
In September 2015, it was decided that there would be separate trials for the accused. The trial against Officer William Porter ended in mistrial. Officers Nero, Goodson, and Rice were acquitted. The charges against the two remaining officers were dropped.
On September 12, 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it would not bring federal charges against the six Baltimore police officers involved in the arrest and death in custody of Gray.
- ^ a b Gordon, Kalani (May 1, 2015). "Latest updates on Baltimore unrest and Freddie Gray case – The charges". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ^ Linderman, Juliet; Anderson, Curt (April 23, 2015). "Rough Ride? Lawyer Says Fatally Injured Arrestee Lacked Belt". ABC News. Baltimore. Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 6, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2015.