Rice, who is white, ordered two officers on bicycle to chase Gray, 25, when he fled unprovoked in a high-crime area. They said he was well aware of department policy requiring officers to seat-belt all detainees but chose to ignore it. In closing arguments, prosecutor Janice Bledsoe said Rice’s actions were deliberate and that the lieutenant wanted to “punish and humiliate” Gray for resisting arrest.
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Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams, who oversaw a non-jury trial at Rice’s request, said prosecutors did not prove that Gray died as a result of Rice’s failure to secure him with a seat belt.
The verdict could renew calls from police union leaders to drop charges against the remaining officers.
“I’m disgusted, as usual, and they’re sending a daily message all across the world that our lives don’t matter, and that’s sad”, said Tawanda Jones outside the courthouse Monday.
On December 3, 2014 a grand jury decided not to bring charges against Officer Daniel Pantaleo for strangling Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York earlier that year.
Shortly after the verdict was announced, the White House said it expects individuals who might have concerns with the court’s decision to “register those concerns peacefully”, apparently attempting to mitigate any potentially violent reactions to the verdict as tensions run high from a string of police killings of black men by police officers.
Police in riot gear stand on on the street after Baltimore authorities released a report on the death of Freddie Gray on May 1, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the highest ranking of all officers involved in the case. The judge stated that the prosecution’s case rested on “presumptions or assumptions”. The officer made a correct decision in a few seconds while Gray was being combative, and a hostile crowd was looking on, they said. It can be hoped that this most recent acquittal will serve as a wake-up call to Mosby, though she has demonstrated so far that reading the writing on the wall is not her strong point.
In addition, the judge chided prosecutors for the second time in a trial related to Gray’s death for withholding evidence from defense attorneys.
Six Baltimore police officers were charged in Gray’s death. Prosecutors described them as concerned observers, while Belsky said officers heard threatening comments during the arrest.
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From the beginning, it was clear – as in the other trials – that the prosecution did not have a case. A fourth officer’s trial ended in a hung jury. But she has yet to find success in court, and is being sued for defamation by five of the officers. Officers Edward Nero and Officer Cesar Goodson were acquitted in a bench trial by the same judge. “Based upon the evidence in previous trials, we are certain the remaining three officers will also be found not guilty”. “It’s a waste of time and money”. “Billy” Murphy, on the civil side and agreed to pay the family $6.4 million. News stories displayed here appear in our category for General and are licensed via a specific agreement between LongIsland.com and The Associated Press, the world’s oldest and largest news organization.
