State: Baltimore officer caused black man's broken neck

Associated Press ^ | Jun 20, 2016 12:28 PM EDT | Juliet Linderman

[Olog-hai]

Prosecutors tried one last time on Monday to persuade a Baltimore judge to convict the driver of a police wagon in which 25-year-old black arrestee Freddie Gray’s neck was broken on the way to a police station.

Both sides delivered closing arguments after more than five days of testimony in the trial of Officer Caesar Goodson on charges including second-degree murder and manslaughter.

Other officers left Gray in handcuffs and leg shackles inside the paddy wagon, leaving him unable to protect himself from being slammed into the van’s metal walls during the ride. Prosecutors say Goodson “breached his duty” when he failed to buckle Gray into a seat belt that would have restrained him. …

[ladyjane]

Just because poor Freddie was thrown in a *paddy* wagon now everybody is going to assume this happened in Boston? ;-)

BTW I am irate that AP would use this slur in their article.

[spiderpig]

A former co-worker of mine in Florida was a cop in City of Detroit in the late 80’s prior to the Florida deal... he said it was common, after applying a fresh ArmorAll application to the rear vinyl seat in his cruiser, to haul a perp in and do a “Screen test” while in transit.

This test would be watched for entertainment value from the driver’s side of the plexiglass partition, on which the face of the perp (handcuffed in back) would be plastered when doing an emergency/panic brake when away from traffic.

Maybe this stuff still goes on, but I doubt it. I would think the (living) EYEWITNESS in the back of the same van at the same time would be the best available information. Dead guy succeeded beyond all belief in trying to hurt himself... an overachiever!

[Laser_Ray]

They did crack down on frustrated/tired cops doing it for the LOLZ (which is wrong) but as far as I know it is still in use at least by the more oldschool cops because it works often enough to be useful. "Allright, punk, I want the safehouse John Doe is at before he kills another kid at the park while doing a drive-by." "Maaaan, **** you pigs! *cop peels off, drives over speed bumps at 40 MPH and/or over gravel roads.* BAM BAM CRASH SCREECH BLAM KABUNK-KABUNK-KABUNK BAM "YOW OUCH OOH EEE OW LAWDY-JEEZIS YOW OOF" "Wooh, the city really needs to fix those roads! So where did you say he was again?" "*cough* Ohhh man...stoppit officer, I tell youse...he be at 83rd and pacific in de basement..."

[Qiviut]

This is why the ‘rough ride’ wasn’t mentioned in closing arguments by the prosecution:

Freddie Gray trial: expert witness crumbles in van driver’s prosecution
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/16/freddie-gray-trial-caesar-goodson-rough-ride-prosecution

Witness Stanford O’Neill Franklin, a former police commander, was called to support the prosecution’s theory that Gray suffered what is known as a “rough ride”, a practice in which a driver jolts and takes sharp turns, jostling a prisoner who is handcuffed and shackled without a seatbelt.

But when asked by defense attorney Matthew Fraling whether he saw any evidence of Goodson’s erratic driving, he couldn’t say.

Asked if, in reviewing footage of the van’s stops, he saw evidence of unexpected starts, stops, or turns, Franklin answered: “I did not.”

“It’s not your contention that Officer Goodson in any way engaged in a rough ride?” Fraling asked.

“I can’t say for sure,” Franklin responded.

On redirect, assistant deputy state’s attorney Michael Schatzow did not ask any further questions about the rough ride before resting his case.

[cyclotic]

Not a chance. I think this judge has been playing her all along so he can prove what an incompetent moron the voters elected.

The verdict will be read on Thursday. Unfortunately, I have to be in Baltimore for a meeting that day.

I used to know a guy who was law partners with her predecessor. He was a democrat of course, but he was also white which was one big strike against him. My friend said he was an excellent attorney, so you know he’d be a one-termer on Baltimore.

[Snowybear]

Be safe and good luck.

[cyclotic]

Going limp is standard operating procedure for a guy playing the system. It makes the cops work harder. Plus, the ME report said that upon injury, breathing would be impossible and death inevitable. He was breathing and not in distress in the video.

Testimony also showed that at one stop, he was on the floor and assisted the officer who was helping him back into his seat.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

I think Sean Connery saved their reputation in The Untouchables.

[PhilDragoo]

Extensive record. Pre-existing spinal injury. The Beretta Admonition applies.

[armydawg505]

The Easter Bunny causes egg prices to rise at Easter too. Makes about as much sense as charging this officer who I am confident will be acquitted completely.

[generally]

Yep. They are trying to imply that a white cop deliberately killed an “innocent” black man. How convenient not to mention that the cop was black. Or that the dead guy was a criminal.