Freddie Gray's Death

Overview

Freddie Carlos Gray, Jr. was a 25-year-old resident of Baltimore, Maryland who died from spinal injuries while in custody of the Baltimore Police Department shortly after his arrest on alleged possession of an illegal switchblade in April 2015. In the wake of the incident, as well as the larger string of police brutality controversies involving African Americans leading up to it, the public reaction quickly developed into a series of large-scale, and oftentimes violent, protests in Baltimore and the metropolitan area in the following months.

Background

On the morning of April 12th, 2015, Baltimore resident Freddie Gray was arrested for alleged possession of a switchblade knife and taken into custody by the Baltimore Police Department. The scene of his arrest was captured on video footage by two bystanders, which shows Gray being carried into the van by multiple officers.

According to the police report, within 30 minutes the arrest, Gray suddenly fell into a coma while being transported, prompting the attention of paramedics and admission at the University of Maryland's shock trauma center, where it was discovered that he had sustained severe injuries to his spinal cords and larynx. In the following week, Gray remained unconscious and underwent extensive surgery. On April 19th, a week after his arrest, Gray was pronounced dead.

Notable Developments

Community Reactions

In the days following Gray's death, hundreds of local residents began assembling in downtown Baltimore to march down the streets adjacent to the scene of Gray's arrest and stage a demonstration outside the city's Western District police headquarters. According to Reuters and local news media outlets, the protest was peaceful.

Official Statements

On April 21st, 2015, Baltimore Police Department suspended six officers involved in the arrest due to an internal investigation of Gray's death, in addition to the launch of a federal investigation by the United States Justice Department. The next day, Gene Ryan, the president of the local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, released a statement expressing sympathy for the Gray family, while condemning the anti-police rhetorics of protests by likening the local reaction to a "lynch mob." Ryan's remark was met with heavy backlash from the family's attorney, as well as the national news media outlets, most notably in a New York Times op-ed column titled "‘Lynch Mob’: Misuse of Language."

Gray's Criminal Records

On April 21st, 2015, The Baltimore Sun^[11] reported that Gray had a lengthy history of run-ins with the Baltimore Police Department in the years leading up to the incident, citing court records obtained from the Maryland Department of Justice. According to the documents, Gray had a criminal record of at least 18 arrests since as early as 2007, mainly on charges of drug possessions and possession with intent to distribute.

Protests

On April 25th, 2015, thousands of Baltimore residents participated in a massive rally by marching from the Baltimorean city hall to Inner Harbor, during which a small contingent of unruly protesters began throwing rocks at police officers and damaging vehicles. As a result, at least 34 people were arrested and 15 police officers were injured, while two photojournalists were forcefully subdued and briefly taken into custody while attempting to photograph the scenes of the escalating violence. Upon release, a video clip of J.M. Giordano, a photographer for Baltimore City Paper, getting swarmed and beaten by two police officers, was published on the online edition of the publication.

Memorial Service

On April 27th, the memorial service for Freddie Gray was held at the New Shiloh Baptist Church, which was joined by civil rights leaders, families of other people killed by police, and politicians including Congressman Elijah Cummings, Cabinet Secretary Broderick Johnson, White House adviser Heather Foster, and Elias Alcantara of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Escalation of Violence

However, by early afternoon that same day, the Baltimore Police Department had reportedly issued a warning of "potentially violent activities on the rise" across the city. Around 3 p.m., a confrontation erupted between the police in riot gear and a group of about 100 youthful protesters who began throwing bricks and bottles at the officers. In response to the unrest, a handful of schools, universities and major businesses closed early and several professional sporting events were postponed to a later date. Meanwhile, several police vehicles were destroyed and set on fire and a CVS pharmacy store in downtown Baltimore was looted and set ablaze.

Investigation

On May 1st, Maryland's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby announced 28 criminal charges against six Baltimore Police Department officers involved in Gray's arrest, Officers Caesar R. Goodson Jr., William G. Porter, Edward M. Nero and Garrett F. Miller, Lieutenant Brian W. Rice and Sergeant Alicia D. White, for various crimes ranging from second-degree murder to manslaughter and misconduct, among others (listed below). During the press conference, Mosby delivered a speech condemning the police officers for arresting an innocent man without probable cause and lethally assaulting him.

All six officers were taken into custody and processed at Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center; all of them were released on the same day after posting bail, which ranged from $250,000 to $350,000.

Trials

• On September 8th, 2015, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced that the city had reached a $6.4 million settlement with Gray's family, while adding that the settlement “should not be interpreted as a judgment on the guilt or innocence of the officers facing trial."

• On December 16th, Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams declared a mistrial in the case of William G. Porter, the first of the six Baltimore Police officers implicated in Gray's death to stand trial, after the jury failed to reach an agreement on any of the charges filed against Porter.

• On May 23rd, 2016, Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams rejected the state of Maryland's case against Edward Nero, acquitting him on all charges, including two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of misconduct in office and reckless endangerment. The verdict was announced after five days of deliberation. In his ruling, Williams explained that the decision was largely driven by the absence of "credible facts" directly linking Officer Nero's role in Gray's arrest and the detainment.

Search Interest

External References