Killing of Freddie Gray

Freddie Carlos Gray Jr. (August 16, 1989 – April 19, 2015) was the 25-year-old son of Gloria Darden.

He had a twin sister, Fredericka Gray, as well as another sister, Carolina.

He was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder after entering school, where he attended special education classes, played wide receiver in a local football little league team, and was a truant student.

Gray failed several grades and dropped out of high school in ninth grade.

At the time of his death, Gray lived in the home owned by his sisters in the Gilmor Homes neighborhood.

He stood 5 ft and weighed 145 lbs.

Gray had a criminal record, on drug charges and minor crimes and had spent time in jail.

On April 12, 2015, Freddie Carlos Gray Jr., a 25-year-old African American, was arrested by the Baltimore Police Department over his legal possession of a knife.

While in police custody, Gray sustained fatal injuries and was taken to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center.

Gray died on April 19, 2015; his death was ascribed to injuries to his cervical spinal cord.

On April 21, 2015, pending an investigation of the incident, six Baltimore police officers were suspended.

The circumstances of the injuries were initially unclear; eyewitness accounts suggested that the officers involved used unnecessary force against Gray during the arrest—a claim denied by all officers involved.

Commissioner Anthony W. Batts reported that, contrary to department policy, the officers did not secure Gray inside the van while driving to the police station; this policy had been put into effect six days prior to Gray's arrest, following review of other transport-related injuries sustained during police custody in the city, and elsewhere in the country during the preceding years.

The medical investigation found that Gray had sustained the injuries while in transport.

The medical examiner's office concluded that Gray's death could not be ruled an accident, and was instead a homicide, because officers failed to follow safety procedures "through acts of omission".

On May 1, 2015, the Baltimore City State's Attorney, Marilyn Mosby, announced her office had filed charges against six police officers after the medical examiner's report ruled Gray's death a homicide.

The prosecutors stated that they had probable cause to file criminal charges against the six police officers who were believed to be involved in his death.

The officer driving the van was charged with second-degree depraved-heart murder for his indifference to the considerable risk that Gray might be killed, and others were charged with crimes ranging from manslaughter to illegal arrest.

On May 21, a grand jury indicted the officers on most of the original charges filed by Mosby with the exception of the charges of illegal imprisonment and false arrest, and added charges of reckless endangerment to all the officers involved.

Gray's hospitalization and subsequent death resulted in a series of protests.

On April 25, 2015, a major protest in downtown Baltimore turned violent, resulting in 34 arrests and injuries to 15 police officers.

After Gray's funeral on April 27, civil disorder intensified with looting and burning of local businesses and a CVS drug store, culminating with a state of emergency declaration by Governor Larry Hogan, Maryland National Guard deployment to Baltimore, and the establishment of a curfew.

On May 3, the National Guard started withdrawing from Baltimore, and on that night the curfew on the city was lifted.

In September 2015, it was decided that there would be separate trials for the accused.

The trial against Officer William Porter ended in mistrial.

Officers Nero, Goodson, and Rice were acquitted.

Police encountered Freddie Gray on the morning of April 12, 2015, in the street near Baltimore's Gilmor Homes housing project, an area known to have high levels of home foreclosures, poverty, drug deals, and violent crime.

Approximately three weeks prior to the incident, Mosby had requested "enhanced" drug enforcement efforts at the corner of North and Mount.

According to the charging documents submitted by the Baltimore police, at 8:39 a.m Lieutenant Brian W. Rice, Officer Edward Nero, and Officer Garrett E. Miller were patrolling on bicycles and made eye contact with Gray, who proceeded to flee on foot "unprovoked upon noticing police presence".

After a brief chase, Gray was apprehended and taken into custody "without the use of force or incident", according to Officer Garrett Miller, who wrote he "noticed a knife clipped to the inside of his [Gray's] front right pocket".

In the formal statement of charges, Officer Miller stated that Gray "did unlawfully carry, possess, and sell a knife commonly known as a switch blade knife, with an automatic spring or other device for opening and/or closing the blade within the limits of Baltimore City. The knife was recovered by this officer and found to be a spring assisted one hand operated knife."

According to the state's attorney for Baltimore City, the spring-assisted knife Gray was carrying was legal under Maryland law, while a police task force said the knife was a violation of the Baltimore code under which Gray was charged.

Video recordings by two bystanders capturing Gray's arrest showed Gray, screaming, being dragged to a police van by officers, and then stepping up into the van.

A bystander with connections to Gray stated that the officers were previously "folding" Gray: one officer bent Gray's legs backwards, and another held Gray down by pressing a knee into his neck.

Witnesses commented Gray "couldn't walk", "can't use his legs".

Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts noted from the video that "Gray stood on one leg and climbed into the van on his own."

The Baltimore Sun reported that another witness saw Gray being beaten with police batons.

The remaining charges against the officers were dropped on July 27, 2016.

On September 12, 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it would not bring federal charges against the six Baltimore police officers involved in the arrest and death in custody of Freddie Gray.

However, it was announced on October 5, 2017, that non-criminal, internal disciplinary trials for the officers will be prosecuted by a three person-panel chaired by a representative from another Maryland police agency, likely Prince George's County, and that outside lawyer and former chair of the Baltimore City School Board Neil Duke will serve on the panel as well.