In what is a perceived legal blow for prosecutors, the jury was hung and the judge declared a mistrial in the trial of Baltimore police officer William Porter in the case of Freddie Gray’s death after sustaining injuries while in custody.
Porter was charged with manslaughter, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office in the April 19th death of Gray, who died a week after his neck was broken during a ride in the back of a police van. Gray’s death and the subsequent unrest in Baltimore brought to the fore long simmering tensions in Baltimore and across the nation over socioeconomic disparity and the relationship between law enforcement and the minority communities they serve.
Prosecutors considered Porter’s case key to help strengthening the case against van driver Caesar Goodson, Jr. It was also seen as a signal of how the trials of the other five officers could go.
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An undated image of Freddie Gray provided by the family’s attorney via WBAL
A majority black jury will ultimately decide if William Porter can be found guilty in the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, a black man who died after a “rough ride” in a police van in April.
Court officials announced Wednesday that eight black and four white jurors will decide the fate of Porter, one of six Baltimore police officers charged in Gray’s death. Porter, who is black, has been charged with manslaughter, second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.
A lot is hinging on the outcome of the case. Legal experts claim an acquittal could set the tone for the other five trials. Prosecutors also seek to use Porter as a material witness against at least two other officers.
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The Washington Post via Getty Images
A handful of protesters gather outside the Baltimore Circuit Court on Nov. 30.
Baltimore officials have reached a $6.4 million settlement in the wrongful death of Freddie Gray, who sustained fatal neck injuries while in police custody in April.
The deal, first reported by the Washington Post and confirmed by NBC News on Tuesday, still needs to be approved by Baltimore’s spending overseer, the Board of Estimates. A vote on the proposal will take place on Wednesday.
The proposed settlement “should not be interpreted as a judgment on the guilt or innocence of the officers facing trial,” according to a statement from Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “This settlement is being proposed solely because it is in the best interest of the city, and avoids costly and protracted litigation that would only make it more difficult for our city to heal and potentially cost taxpayers many millions more in damages.”
A grand jury in Baltimore has indicted six officers in the death of Freddie Gray, the city’s top prosecutor said Thursday.
In a hasty early-evening news conference, State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby reeled off the charges handed down by the grand jury against the officers: Caesar Goodson Jr., William Porter, Brian Rice, Edward Nero, Garrett Miller and Alicia White.
The grand jury’s charges differed slightly from those filed by Mosby on May 1, when she announced the results of her office’s independent investigation of Gray’s death. Some original charges, including false imprisonment and assault, were dropped in the cases of some of the officers, and new charges, including reckless endangerment, were added against all of them.
A leaked police document that claims Freddie Gray was “intentionally trying to injure himself” while in the back of a police van in Baltimore after his arrest is being questioned due to inconsistencies with earlier reports.
Gray died a week after his videotaped April 12 arrest due to injuries sustained under uncertain circumstances while in police custody, sparking protests in Baltimore and around the nation.
The Washington Post reported on Wednesday night that a prisoner who was in the van with Gray allegedly told investigators he could hear Gray “banging against the walls” of the police vehicle, and said he believed Gray was “intentionally trying to injure himself,” according to a document written by a Baltimore police investigator.
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Image: Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post
Actor Jesse Williams unloads on Baltimore critics in passionate Twitter essay
The “Grey’s Anatomy” actor wrote about the prevelance of rioting throughout history
On Monday evening, as Baltimore was rocked by violent and non-violent protests alike, actor Jesse Williams, known for his role on “Grey’s Anatomy” and for occasionally weighing in on issues of race and police brutality, wrote what amounted to an essay on the history of rioting. tangie
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Baltimore Settles
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