Jury Deadlocked in Freddie Gray Trial

He is the first officer to go on trial in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray.

Meanwhile, police from neighboring jurisdictions staged in Druid Hill Park Tuesday in the event of unrest. “The crux of the state’s charges is that Porter failed to act as a ‘reasonable officer, ‘ which, according to Brown, the state failed to do”, according to recent reports.

Baltimore Police spokesman T.J. Smith told The Baltimore Sun that the images are “not the visual that we want to portray”. Following a two-week trial, the panel of seven black and five white jurors is weighing whether to convict or acquit Officer William Porter, 26 years old, of one count of…

Gray, a young black man, died on 19 April – a week after his neck was broken while riding in the back of a police van with his wrists and ankles cuffed, but while he remained unrestrained. An autopsy report suggested that Gray may have attempted to stand up during the van ride, and that the injury could have occurred as he was thrown against the van wall when the vehicle abruptly changed direction. He faces up to 25 years in prison.

Porter testified last week that he was in the van for most of the 45-minute ride between the site of Gray’s arrest and the Western District police station.

The jury announced Tuesday afternoon that they were deadlocked in the trial of the officer and the judge has instructed them to continue with their deliberation. City officials are preparing for widespread protest should Porter be acquitted.

Davis said the goal is to be as prepared as possible out of an abundance of caution. Prosecutors reportedly requested that Porter be tried first because he is a material witness in the cases of White and Goodson.

Gray’s arrest and death triggered rioting in April. The jury has not been sequestered, but they have been warned not to read news articles about the case or talk about it with anyone other than fellow jurors.

Porter is accused ignoring Mr Gray’s requests for medical attention and for failing to secure him with a seatbelt while he was handcuffed and shackled. The judge denied that, noting the list wasn’t evidence.

Jurors in the the trial of Baltimore officer William Porter are deadlocked, Judge Barry Williams sent them back to deliberate.