Posted on 04/30/2015 10:27:55 PM PDT by Nachum
BALTIMORE (WJZ ) — From the beginning, the investigation into what killed Freddie Gray has centered on what happened inside the police transport van.
We knew there was another prisoner inside the van and tonight we hear from him.
WJZ‘s Mike Schuh is the first to speak with Donta Allen about what he heard.
(Excerpt) Read more at baltimore.cbslocal.com ...
Why is no one (apparently) talking about the fact he wasn’t secured in the seat as I’m sure is required. That’s the big glaring elephant in the room... By not following procedure they provided the conditions that had this result. And the big remaining question is if he wasn’t secured on purpose, did they purposely accelerate hard and slam on the brakes to “soften him up” on they way to the police station/jail? Without being secured and your hands being handcuffed there would be no way to hold on. You’d get slammed around while the driver gets a good laugh.
Might suspicious.
Sit back and examine the facts. This is a guy who was getting a disability related check for lead-paint exposure....so he had some health-related issues to start with. Nothing is clear about what the issues were. Second, arrested eighteen times....most for drugs. What kind of drugs? Third, on this occasion, he’s in a drug-infested area and thought to be buying drugs....and may have ingested some drugs prior to the cops grabbing him. Any possibility that he was on PCP?
Every single day....around the US....probably two thousand Americans find themselves detained by some city cops and placed in such a van. And this is the one and only guy who dies in the back of a cop van from neck injuries? There’s some other piece to this story that has yet to be told.
I think the reporter should have said a “Bolt Head” instead of bolt.
The impression of the bolt head on this man’s head indicates the contact with the van’s rear door.
On another note, the "severed spinal cord" quote is from the family attorney - not the ME. The news media kept repeating what the family attorney said.
I don't see a problem. Explain in detail....
“MaxMax” is one them “I know everything and challenging my opinion means we gotta fight” Texans.
“So he is changing his Story?? shucking and jiving is what I hear.”
They have his statement. I’m sure he is fearing for his life in the hood.
That’s what I’m getting from the article too.
“Good grief, it’s a metal transport van, not a padded cell!!!”
Prison cells and furniture are all metal and bolted down. Anything that is not metal will be destroyed. These aren’t people your grandmother would invite to tea with her good china.
Dividers can be installed. The vans are typically used to pick up multiple prisoners and they don’t need prisoners to kill each other or collaborate and overpower officers.
Thank you for the information.
Where are the shoulder belts, and if they have not been taken out how is this vehicle legal?
The bolt wasn't the cause of the death - breaking his neck was. The impression of the bolt head (probably a rounded/slotted head sticking out 1/8" or so) gave them the clue of the impact that caused the neck to break.
You've said something that makes sense. The PD must have initiated the seat belt rule for a reason, since nobody anticipates problems anymore. Even with seatbelts, a jolt could cause an injury in that vehicle. The other thing is that the police were clearly dragging him to the vehicle. Should they have waited for an ambulance?
It just might be that the vehicle, in which one could easily be injured or injure oneself and the lack of attention to medical and psychological issues, is a real problem.
The perpetually angry community would save a lot more lives dealing with issues like that.
was someone else in there with him
I still don’t get if Freddie was alone and they were separated or if they were together.
How badly can this scenario be presented.
Was anyone WITH Freddie?
“Was anyone WITH Freddie?”
No.
Then how does someone WITH a broken spine thrash about on their own?
I fractured my left arm and it hurt to blink
If it was rough then the other prisoner would have injuries as well....
________
Not if he was belted in properly. A belt makes a huge difference for injury and survival in accidents. Gray could well have had an unstable C-spine fracture before he was placed in the van (see the video). Take a corner too fast, and an unbelted prisoner who can’t use his hands because they’re cuffed, and can’t brace with his legs because there is already nerve damage, slides off the bench and the fracture completes.
Maybe he ain’t so dumb ...
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