Protesters Gather in Baltimore After Freddie Gray Case Declared a Mistrial

Arthur B. Johnson Jr. protests outside of the courthouse in response to a hung jury and mistrial for Officer William Porter, one of six Baltimore city police officers charged in connection to the death of Freddie Gray, Wedn…

The jury of seven men and five women deliberated for about 16 hours over three days. But it’s no surprise the jury wasn’t able to reach a verdict, he said.

“All of these issues will have to be debated”, said CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, who characterized the hung jury as “a defeat for the prosecution”. The mistrial may complicate the state’s ability to try the other remaining officers.

All six officers have been suspended.

Goodson is the next officer due in court, with his trial set for January 6. His death a week later sparked demonstrations and made him a symbol of the black community’s distrust of police. William Porter’s trial was the first test of prosecutors’ case against six officers in a city struggling to rein in violent crime.

The charges carried maximum prison terms totaling 25 years.

Gray’s death led to city-wide protests in Baltimore that included vandalism and looting.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake called for calm, as night closed in on Baltimore, a city of 620,000 that has among the highest murder rates in the United States. “We are here to serve as peacekeepers, quite frankly”, Baltimore police commissioner Kevin Davis said. “If some choose to demonstrate to express their opinion, that is their right, and we respect that right, and we will fight to protect it. But all of us today agree that the unrest from last spring is not acceptable”. The trial ended Wednesday with a hung jury and mistrial. We are not at all upset with them, neither should the public be upset.

Police patrols in Baltimore have been stepped up in recent days with the verdict imminent. The prosecution insisted Porter could have saved Gray’s life by restraining him and calling for medical help after his injury.

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

Baltimore police corrected rumors floating around that law enforcement had shot a protester. When the van finally arrived at the police station, Gray was unresponsive.

The defense said Porter told the van driver and a supervisor that Gray had said “yes” when asked if he needed to go to a hospital. Prosecutors will decide whether to retry the case. “I think he can get a fair trial in the city but the jurors need to pay attention to the evidence and not hurry”. Ms. Bledsoe asked. “How long does it take to click a seatbelt, and click a radio to ask for a medic?”

Officer Edward M. Nero is charged with one count of second-degree assault, two counts of misconduct in office and one count of reckless endangerment. “That’s all it would have taken”. Arguing standard practice was to not use seat belts.

Third, Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby reportedly looked “visibly upset” when the mistrial was declared (which strikes me as unprofessional behavior). The ruling puts prosecutors, defense attorneys and a populace anxious for a resolution back at square one.

The manslaughter trial of a Baltimore policeman accused over the death in custody of African-American Freddie Gray was declared a mistrial after the jury failed to reach a verdict, putting the city on edge. His lawyers have said that Porter acted as any reasonable officer would have.

In a brief conversation Wednesday evening with The Baltimore Sun, Porter alluded to why: “It’s not over yet”.