Jurors adjourned for the night without reaching a verdict. Porter is the first officer to stand trial.
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Prosecutors say Gray was gravely hurt at this point; Porter denied this, saying Gray wasn’t exhibiting any symptoms and appeared uninjured.
NPR’s Jennifer Ludden reporting from Baltimore told our Newscast unit that in their closing arguments, prosecutors pointed out inconsistencies in Porter’s testimony.
Gray was arrested while fleeing police in his neighborhood, just seven city blocks from the station, yet police stopped the van repeatedly during a circuitous trip around West Baltimore that went on for 45 minutes.
A court spokeswoman said the judge denied the request, since no transcripts were introduced as evidence, but jurors are welcome to review the audio and video.
They also asked for definitions of “evil motive, bad faith and not honestly”, which is part of a misconduct charge.
Prisoners were never secured with seat belts during field training, and though cadets were instructed to secure prisoners with seat belts, they were not shown how, Porter said.
As for the definitions, the judge said he could not expand on his jury instructions. It began deliberations about three hours earlier.
After the medical examiner declared Gray’s death a homicide, the Baltimore city prosecutor filed charges against six officers – three white and three black.
Thornton writes that the school system supports students’ right to express their emotions and will facilitate ways for them to do so. High school students were among a group that engaged in a violent confrontation with police at Mondawmin Mall last April, setting off days of protesting, violence and looting.
Jurors will hear closing arguments Monday, then begin deliberating on which version they think is true.
He faces charges of manslaughter, assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office.
The 25-year-old died in hospital a week later, fuelling a national debate over allegations of police brutality and triggering riots in Baltimore.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake urged citizens on Monday to respect the jury’s decision and go about business as usual.
Baltimore police officer William Porter is charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and assault of black detainee Freddie Gray. The maximum penalty he faces is about 25 years.
Prosecutors said Goodson initially stopped because Gray was acting out inside the passenger compartment.
“The absence of real evidence raises much more than reasonable doubt”, Murtha told jurors.
Defense attorneys for Porter described him during the two-week trial as a caring young officer, a son of West Baltimore, who was well-intentioned, but inexperienced and ill-served by misguided police department practices and inept communication methods.
The city of Baltimore braced for a verdict as closing arguments were made Monday in the first of six trials of police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray.
The city has also opened an emergency operations center and contacted outside law enforcement agencies to coordinate any necessary response.
When Porter helped Gray onto a bench in the wagon during one of the stops that April day, he did more than he was required to do, according to Reynolds.
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Authorities say Gray broke his neck on April 12 while being transported in the police van, shackled but not wearing a seat belt. Porter and other witnesses testified that it was the responsibility of the wagon driver, Caesar Goodson, to buckle Gray into the seat belt. Prosecutors are asking jurors to find Porter negligent for not strapping Gray into a seat belt and not calling for medical help when he appeared to be in distress following the van ride to the police station.
