Freddie Gray jurors deadlocked in trial of officer, will keep deliberating

The judge then sent the jury back to deliberate further.

Michael Schatzow, center, chief deputy State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, walks to a courthouse for closing arguments in the trial of William Porter, one of six city police officers charged in connection to the death of F…

A judge has ordered a jury in Baltimore to continue deliberating after they reported Tuesday they had not reached a verdict in the trial of police officer William Porter.

Baltimore City Schools CEO Gregory Thornton detailed the plan, in part, in a letter sent Monday to parents and community members. Williams earlier on Tuesday had rejected a request by defense lawyer Gary Proctor to declare a mistrial and order a change of venue. The jury began deliberating Monday.

Demonstrations were initially peaceful following the 25-year-old’s death.

Porter is charged with manslaughter, assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct.

Ahead of an impending verdict, Baltimore officials braced for more protests and riots like those that rocked the city in the weeks after Gray died on April 19.

“Whatever the verdict, we need everyone in our city to respect the judicial process”, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said at a press conference last week.

Davis sent a letter to the police force on Monday, saying, “Regardless of the outcome of this trial or any future trial, we refuse to surrender to the low expectations of those who wish to see us fail. We serve because we know so many good and decent Baltimoreans need us to stand in between them and crime, disorder, and chaos”. Baltimore police also canceled leave for officers and scheduled 12-hour shifts. The trial of Officer William Porter is the first of six for officers charged in the case.

Officers caught up to him, and they found a knife in his trousers.

Prosecutors in the case later said that police had no probable cause for Gray’s arrest.

Gray’s death was indeed a “horrific tragedy” but “there is literally no evidence” Porter is responsible, he said.

Gray suffered spinal cord injuries while in the back of the van.

Authorities say Porter was present at five of the six stops.

Gray’s arrest and death triggered rioting in April. Prosecutors say he should have buckled Gray in and called a medic after the 25-year-old man said he needed help. According to testimony, Porter told the van’s driver and a supervisor that Gray had asked for aid but none was summoned.

‘How long does it take to click a seat belt?’ There were also reports of officers with helmets and shields.

“Freddie Gray went into the van healthy and he came out of the van dead”, prosecutor Janice Bledsoe reminded jurors. “How long does that take, to click a seat belt and click a radio and ask for a medic? That’s all it would have taken”.

Prosecutors have argued that city jurors can be fair.

“With great power comes great responsibility”, Bledsoe said.

Porter’s attorneys have argued he did more than was required of him and acted as a “reasonable officer” would in his interactions with Gray, that Gray’s injuries were the result of an accident Porter could not prevent.

“The state is asking you to insert facts into the blanks that don’t exist”, he told jurors.

As is normal in such cases the Judge essentially just told them to try again.

The jury is made up of three black men, four black women, three white women and two white men.