Freddie Gray case: Jury selected, Baltimore officer trial to begin

Porter, who is a Black Baltimore native, is facing a jury that closely reflects the racial makeup of his city.

A Baltimore judge has selected a majority Black jury to decide the fate of William Porter, the first police officer on trial for the April death of Freddie Gray.

Rice was a 12-year-old black boy fatally shot by police in Cleveland last year.

Gray was a 25-year-old black man who died in April from a spinal injury he suffered while riding in the back of a police transport van.

Gray died in April of injuries received in police custody.

“In the blink of an eye a situation could be out of control, and at least then you know EMS is on the way”, she said. There was “nothing wrong with his spine” when Gray entered the van, Schatzow said. He implied the injury occurred when the van slammed on its brakes. Porter, Proctor claimed, did everything that Gray asked of him.

Deputy State’s Attorney Michael Schatzow said that although Porter had been trained to seatbelt all arrestees detained in police vans, the officer instead pushed Gray inside without using any of the five seat belts available, according to the local Baltimore Sun.

The trial before eight women and four men is expected to shed light on how Gray was injured, and perhaps establish whether it during or after his arrest, some of which was captured on bystander video. After the riots, some police union officials said the Gray case made officers “hesitant” to stop crime.

Porter was “on trial for what he did, and more important what he didn’t do”, Schatzow added in his 45-minute opening speech to the jurors.

Protesters hold signs outside the Mitchell Courthouse on Monday, the first day of the trial of William Porter.

When a medic arrived at the western district after the van’s tour of west Baltimore, Proctor said the first responder thought Gray had suffered a drug overdose and treated him as such.

Eight women and four men comprise the jury, and four men will serve as alternates. Each of the officers has pleaded not guilty. Porter allegedly failed to get medical help for Gray as the transport vehicle carrying the suspect made several stops in Baltimore after picking him up on the way to the police station.

The defense is delivered its opening statement in a half hour after a lunch break, saying Porter was not present when Gray was initially arrested. He faces charges of involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.

The officer’s lawyer, Gary Proctor, said other officers such as the van driver and arresting officers likely were responsible for ensuring that Gray was secured, not Porter. Judge Barry Williams has said he expects a verdict by December 17.

Not only was Officer Porter from west Baltimore, where Gray grew up, but he knew Gray had been arrested the week before and “tried to kick the windows out of a squad auto”, Proctor said.

Schatzow said Gray also was banging around the back of the van, so much so that is caused the van to rock back and forth.

On Wednesday, the judge asked jurors who had been called back whether they had anything to report that might affect their ability to be fair and impartial. They said he was able to lift his neck from laying on his stomach and bear weight on two feet, but that he couldn’t do these things after the six van stops.

A jury could be seated Wednesday afternoon. He later told department investigators that Gray responded “yes” when asked if he needed a medic and complained he couldn’t breathe.

Porter’s attorneys have said in court documents that he intends to testify in his own defense.