Protests in Baltimore After Mistrial in Freddie Gray Case

Courtesy photo of Freddie Gray.

The hung jury in the case of William Porter, the first of six Baltimore officers to stand trial in the death of Freddie Gray, could make guilty verdicts in the five other cases more hard, say law professors following the case.

Baltimore police Officer William Porter, charged with manslaughter in the death of Freddie Gray, acknowledged that his mistrial does not spell the end of his troubles. “We respect the rights of protesters”, Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said.

The judge overseeing the mistrial of an officer charged in the death of Freddie Gray will meet privately Thursday with prosecutors and defense attorneys to talk about dates for a possible retrial.

Within minutes of his ruling, a phalanx of uniformed officers surrounded the courthouse.

A group of about 20 protesters started at the courthouse. Gray was unresponsive by the time the van arrived at a police station after making several stops in between.

The first effort to find a police officer criminally responsible for Freddie Gray’s death from a broken neck in a police van ended Wednesday with a hung jury and a mistrial.

His attorneys had argued that he may have been unaware of department policy mandating that detainees be seat-belted, which was put into place shortly before Gray’s arrest.

Gray’s death triggered rioting in the majority-black city of 620,000 people, and intensified a US debate on police treatment of minorities.

City and state officials have been making preparations for the potential of renewed unrest depending on the verdict.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake appealed for calm.

Rawlings-Blake, who is black, said, “Our reaction needs to be one of respect for our neighborhoods”.

He died of his injuries on April 19, sparking protests, looting and arson. In a video that featured Townes on the day of his arrest, he said “I just came out here to get piece of mind”.

“In the case of any disturbance in the city we are prepared to respond”, she said.

In the Gray case, Porter was charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office. Next up is the van driver, Caesar Goodson, whose trial is set to begin next month. His lawyer said Combs acted in self-defense in the May 2011 shooting of Bernard Bailey, who was unarmed. “I think you will have the same scenario with the other trials”.

Porter is also black, as are two of the other five officers charged.

Protester confronts sheriffs in front of courthouse.

Gray was handcuffed and shackled by his feet, but not buckled in the seat, allegedly causing his body to slam against the side of the van, severing his spinal cord and leaving him in a coma. He died a week later. Porter told the van’s driver and a supervisor that Gray had asked for aid but none was summoned, according to testimony.

Porter conceded that Gray asked for medical help during the fourth stop but said he did not call a medic because Gray didn’t appear to be injured and didn’t articulate what was wrong.

“If there is a mistrial as a result of the jurors’ inability to reach a unanimous decision, then Officer Porter would retain that Fifth Amendment right to refuse to testify”, said Warren S. Alperstein, a defense lawyer and a former prosecutor here.