Following deadlock, Porter jury struggles to find verdict

The sun rises against Courthouse East, across the street from Baltimore City Hall, right, before a jury deliberates in the case of William Porter, one of six Baltimore city police officers charged in connection to the death of Freddie Gray, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015, in Baltimore.

The jury in the Freddie Gray case has sent its first questions to the judge, asking for transcripts of police dispatcher tapes and a police interview with Officer William Porter, who is on trial.

It wasn’t clear if they were stuck on one or more of the four charges.

Porter, who is black, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and assault on Gray. Three of the six officers, including Porter, are black.

Armored vehicles and police are being stationed around the city ahead of any verdict from the jury in the trial of Officer William Porter. Jurors then deliberated for about two more hours before breaking for the day.

Gray’s death in April prompted protests and riots across the city and a temporary state of emergency was put into effect.

In all, the jury heard from 28 witnesses and received about 100 pieces of evidence in the trial, which began November 30.

Gilliam-Price was part of a group of protesters who in October held a sit-in and were arrested at City Hall as part of a campaign to demand police adopt a policy of de-escalation when it came to demonstrators.

She accused them of failing, multiple times, to get the handcuffed Gray medical attention after he suffered a spinal injury in the back of a police van during the 45-minute ride to the station.

Judge Williams quickly denied the request for the mistrial change of venue and additional questioning saying he is satisfied the jury will base their decision only on the evidence presented.

The jury resumed deliberating for the rest of the working day on Tuesday before breaking for the night.

The note about being deadlocked was jurors’ fifth on Tuesday.

The jury has not been sequestered, but has been told not to discus the case or follow news reports. Instead, they said Porter’s indifference makes him criminally responsible for Gray’s injury. Baltimore police also canceled leave for officers and scheduled 12-hour shifts. In making that decision, prosecutors must weigh their chances of securing a conviction in a subsequent trial, said J. Amy Dillard, associate processor at the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Closing arguments finished Monday. The transport van “became his casket on wheels”.

Porter said he asked about the hospital because he knew the jail would not accept Gray if he claimed to be injured.

The judge “basically says, ‘Go back and keep trying, ‘” said Thomas Maronick Jr., another criminal defense attorney in Baltimore. They say he should have called a medic for Gray sooner than one was eventually called, and also should have ensured that Gray was wearing a seat belt.