Six Baltimore police officers involved in the arrest of Freddie Gray will face criminal charges, including manslaughter and murder, in the death of the 25-year-old black man, the city’s chief prosecutor said on Friday.
In making her announcement, State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby said Gray, who died a week after his April 12 arrest, asked for medical attention twice during a ride between the site where he was taken into custody and a police booking center. Mosby also said Gray was improperly arrested that day because officers had no probable cause to detain him.
Gray’s death, Mosby added, is believed to be the result of an injury he sustained while riding in the van without a seat belt.
“Mr. Gray’s death was a homicide,” she declared (see video below).
The Baltimore Police Department handed over its initial investigation into the case to the State’s Attorney’s office on Thursday.
According to the Baltimore Sun:
Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., 45, who was the driver of a police van that carried Gray through the streets of Baltimore, was charged with second-degree murder, assault, manslaughter, misconduct and other charges.
Officer William Porter, 25, and Lt. Brian Rice, 41, were charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Sgt. Alicia White, 30, was charged with manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter. Officer Edward Nero, 29, and Officer Garrett Miller, 26, were charged with assault and misconduct.
News sources reported that the Baltimore police officers union says the six officers charged in the Freddie Gray investigation aren’t responsible for his death. Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3 President Gene Ryan asked Mosby in a letter to appoint a special independent prosecutor. But after announcing the charges Friday, Mosby said she would not turn the case over to a special prosecutor.
The Associated Press profiled Mosby, who has been on the job just four months, in a piece published Friday.
Watch the press conference below:
Image Credit: Baltimore States Attorney
This article originally appeared on Common Dreams.
