The US Department of Justice won’t bring federal charges against six police officers involved in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray, a young black man whose death touched off weeks of protests and unrest in Baltimore.
The officers were charged by state prosecutors after Gray’s neck was broken in the back of a police transport wagon in April of 2015.
The 25-year-old was handcuffed and shackled at the time, but he was unrestrained by a seat belt.
The US Department of Justice won’t bring federal charges against six police officers involved in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray which occurred last year
Baltimore Police Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr., Officer Edward M. Nero, Officer Garrett E Miller (top L-R), Officer William G. Porter, Lt. Brian W. Rice, Sgt. Alicia D. White (bottom L-R)
Three officers were acquitted at trial in July 2016, leading to mass protests and some of the worst riots Baltimore had seen in decades.
Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby dropped the remaining state cases on Tuesday.
The Gray family’s attorney, Billy Murphy, says the Justice Department informed him on Tuesday that no charges would be filed.
Freddie Gray died in police custody in Baltimore, sparking days of civil unrest in April 2015
Five officers face internal disciplinary trials, scheduled to begin Oct. 30.
A request for comment from Mosby’s office was not immediately returned.
State prosecutors failed to procure convictions in the Gray case last year, with officers being cleared or acquitted for Gray’s death. One officers was also set free following a mistrial.
Officer Edward Nero and Officer Caesar Goodson Jr were acquitted in Gray’s death last May and June respectively.
Lt. Brian Rice became the third cop to walk free in the Gray case in June 2016, while Officer William G. Porter was set free after a jury failed to agree on manslaughter and other charges later in the year.
Officer Garrett Miller along with Sgt. Alicia White were also cleared of any wrongdoing in the case.
State’s Attorney for Baltimore, Maryland, Marilyn J. Mosby expressed disappointment with Baltimore police while prosecuting the case last year
Failure to prosecute any of the officers led to wide spread protests and some of the worst riots Baltimore had seen in decades
At the time, Mosby expressed anger and frustration with authorities in Baltimore, saying during a press conference that there was ‘a reluctance’ and ‘an obvious bias’ among some officers investigating Gray’s death.
‘We’ve all borne witness to an inherent bias that is a direct result of when police police themselves,’ she said in July 2016.
The city’s police commissioner, Kevin Davis, refuted those claims, saying the decision to drop charges was a ‘wise’ and ‘thoughtful’ one that will help Baltimore move forward and heal.
He addressed Mosby’s claims of a biased investigation, saying: ‘As the quality of this investigation has been called into question, I want to remind our residents that over 30 ethical, experienced and talented detectives worked tirelessly to uncover facts.’
He added: ‘Our police officers and detectives work with the State’s Attorney’s Office every day to bring solid cases against criminals who seek to harm others and attack our quality of life.
This frame shows from left to right: Officer Caesar Goodson, Officer Garret Miller, Officer Edward Nero, Freddie Gray, Lt Brian Rice