Freddie Gray’s death ruled a homicide; six officers charged
The state prosecutor paints a gruesome scene of Freddie Gray suffering severe medical distress in the police van – and the police officers doing nothing to respond to his condition
Above: State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announces charges against six Baltimore police officers last May.
Six Baltimore police officers are being charged today with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, misconduct in office and other counts in the death of Freddie Gray, State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced.
Mosby told reporters the state medical examiner has ruled Gray’s death a homicide – and recounted a gruesome series of events that resulted in the 25-year-old’s death while in police custody
Gray’s death, Mosby said, was the result of “a fatal injury that occurred while Mr. Gray was unrestrained by a seat beat in the custody of the Baltimore Police Department wagon.”
The officers and the van driver did not respond to Gray’s requests for medical assistance during his roundabout, stop-and-go ride through West Baltimore on April 12.
Gray’s medical condition deteriorated precipitously during that van ride. By the time he was examined by medics at the Western Police District station, he was “in cardiac arrests and severely and critically injured,” Mosby said. The young man died a week later.
Mosby did not make reference to the eyewitness reports that Gray was brutally treated by arresting officer before being put into the police van. Neither did she discuss the video that showed Gray screaming, his legs dragging and head lolling, as he was being hauled into the wagon by police officers.
Illegally Arrested, Mosby Says
The prosecutor charged that Gray had been illegally arrested by three officers – Lt. Brian Rice, Officer Edward Nero and Officer Garrett Miller – after a foot chase on the morning of April 12.
The police, who said they gave chase to Gray after he ran “unprovoked” from the officers, did not have “probable cause” for his arrest, Mosby said.
But on finding a sheathed knife inside Gray’s pants, the officers removed the knife and threw it on the ground near the arrest scene, she said.
The police report, written by Officer Miller, charged Gray with possessing “a spring-assisted, hand-operated knife commonly known as a switchblade.”
List of charges in Freddie Gray case. Page 1 and 2, below. (Source: Baltimore City State’s Attorney)
Gray’s unexplained death has galvanized Baltimore – and the nation – on the issue of police misconduct, sparking in Baltimore nearly two weeks of protest marches and an outbreak of violence and looting in parts of the city on Monday night.
No Medical Attention
According to Mosby, Gray was fatally injured in the police van because the three arresting officers and van’s driver, Officer Caesar Goodson, did not seat belt him into the vehicle, as required under a a police general order.
During four stops made by the van between the time Gray was arrested on Presbury Street and the time when he was found by medics (about 50 minutes later) in cardiac arrest outside the Western Police District station, the officers did not respond to his requests for help or seek medical assistance when he showed visible signs of severe trauma.
Mosby’s account of the arrest differs distinctly from the original charging document, written up by Officer Miller, which did not provide any information about Gray’s medical condition.
After saying the young man was “arrested without force or incident,” the report said that Gray “suffered a medical emergency” while being transported to Western District in the police van and was “immediately” taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma unit by medics.
According to Mosby, Gray was shackled with flex cuffs and leg irons during the van ride and placed headfirst, on his stomach, on the floor of the van instead of seat-belted on a bench.
Unresponsive
Gray was taken across West Baltimore to Dolphin Street before the van turned back and returned to North Avenue, the scene of his original encounter with police. At that stop, as police picked up a witness in the police van, Sergeant Alicia White observed Gray’s unresponsive body in the police van but did not call for medical help, Mosby said.
Mosby said Sergeant White was investigating two citizen complaints stemming from Gray’s original arrest on Presbury Street. (Mosby also noted that in the initial encounter with Gray, arresting officers had placed him in a “leg lace.”)
Mosby said that warrants have been issued for the arrest of Goodson Miller, Nero, Rice, White and Officer William Porter, who observed Gray’s condition at a van stop at Dolphin Street, but also took no action.
The six officers had been placed on paid administrative leave on April 21. This afternoon Mayor Stephanie-Rawlings-Blake ordered the officers suspended without pay.