Freddie Gray's death ruled a homicide, police officers charged

Business Insider ^ | 05/01/2015

[SeekAndFind]

Prosecutors ruled that Freddie Gray's death was a homicide. Friday morning, State attorney Marilyn Mosby announced that all six officers involved in the incident have been charged and warrants are out for their arrests.

"Six officers are each facing multiple charges, including manslaughter, assault, misconduct in office and false imprisonment: Lt. Brian Rice, Sgt. Alicia White, Officer William Porter, Officer Garrett Miller, Officer Edward Nero and Officer Caesar Goodson," The Baltimore Sun reports. "Goodson, who drove the van, has been charged with second-degree murder."

Mosby described how police arrested Gray on no grounds, violated police procedures by cuffing his hands and legs the van without putting him in a seat belt, and repeatedly failed to provide him with medical attention.

On April 12, Gray was arrested for carrying a knife and his spine was somehow partially severed while in police custody.

Mosby said that the knife was legal and that the officers “failed to establish probable cause for an arrest.”

Gray underwent major surgery, lapsed into a coma, and died on April 19.

“Mr. Gray was no longer breathing at all" when he was removed from the wagon.

His death sparked protests across Baltimore that escalated into riots.

"We know he was not buckled in the transportation wagon as he should have been. No excuses from me. Period," City Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said. "We know our police employees failed to get him medical attention in a timely manner multiple times."

[Bryanw92]

>>You and I don’t know that. We still need to find out if there was a call to stop.

Even after a week, the best they can come up with is that he had an “illegal knife” in his pocket, which was neither illegal or even visible at that distance.

>>You ignore one thing -— this area is a KNOWN drug trade area.

I’m not ignoring it because it is immaterial. Just being in a KNOWN drug trade area is not consent to be detained. I lived in a known drug trade area for a few months years ago when my wife and I were separated. I drove a brand new car because I had a good job. One night at almost midnite two cops hammered on my door and demanded to know who I was and how I could afford a new Mustang GT. They explained that this was a KNOWN drug trade area so they were just checking. At MIDNIGHT on a work night. This was 1994, so police abuses are not a new thing for me and my distrust for police tactics in their war against the citizenry started that night.

[Lexinom]

Yes, I just learned about that. That's a game-changer. I was inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt - after all, Baltimore's police department is pretty awful by most accounts.

It now appears she was so quick on the draw that she may ultimately undermine the very end she sought. Her credibility is shot. Will she step aside and allow an independent prosecutor to come in?