Gray's Death Ruled a Homicide; Cops Charged With Murder, Manslaughter
Freddie Gray’s death has been ruled a homicide by the Baltimore state attorney Marilyn Mosby. Six officers have been charged with a number of crimes, including second-degree murder, manslaughter, assault, misconduct, and false imprisonment. A warrant has been issued for their arrest.
Mosby said Freddie Gray’s arrest was illegal, and that he suffered a severe neck injury as a result of being shackled without a seat belt in the van.
Mosby said an investigation found officers placed Gray in wrist and ankle restraints and left him stomach-down on the floor of a police van as they drove around West Baltimore. Despite his repeated requests for medical attention, they did not provide it and continued to drive without securing him in the van, she said.
Officers on at least five occasions placed Gray in the van or checked on him and failed to secure him, she said. By the time they reached the Western District police station, he was not breathing and was in cardiac arrest, she said.
Officer Caesar R. Goodson, 45, who was driving the police van, was charged with second degree murder (maximum sentence of 30 years), three counts of manslaughter (10 years for two charges, three years for the other), second degree assault (10 years), and misconduct.
Officer William Porter, 25, was charged with involuntary manslaughter (10 years), second degree assault (10 years), and misconduct.
Lt. Brian W. Rice, 41, was charged with involuntary manslaughter (10 years), two counts of second degree assault (10 years each), two counts of misconduct, and one count of false imprisonment.
Officer Edward M. Nero, 29, was charged with two counts of second degree assault (10 years each), two counts of misconduct, and one count of false imprisonment.
Officer Garret E. Miller, 26, was charged with two counts of second degree assault (10 years each), two counts of misconduct, and one count of false imprisonment. And Sgt. Alicia D. White, 30, was charged with manslaughter (10 years), second degree assault (10 years), and misconduct.
“To the people of Baltimore and the demonstrators across America, I heard your call for ‘no justice, no peace.’ Your peace is sincerely needed as I work to deliver justice on behalf of this young man,” Mosby said near the end of the press conference.
The Baltimore police union has, of course, condemned the charges, saying “none of the officers involved are responsible for Freddie Gray’s death.”
Full video of the press conference, via Jezebel, is below.
[There was a video here]
UPDATE 1:26 pm: Five of the six officers are in police custody, according to Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.
