During her testimony, Taylor called into question the integrity of Deputy State’s Attorney Janice Bledsoe, accusing the prosecutor of “throwing a tantrum” during the investigation and refusing to work with her. The decision of State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby to charge Goodson and five other Baltimore police officers with Gray’s death drew widespread media coverage, but Taylor said tension between police and prosecutors grew to a fever pitch behind the scenes.
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Judge Barry Williams, who is presiding over the bench trial, set closing arguments for Monday morning.
Police have said Allen told investigators that Gray was thrashing around in the van.
But Allan had testified earlier that the word “accident” never crossed her lips.
Officer Edward Nero, who was acquitted at his own trial last month related to the death of Freddie Gray has testified for the defense, at the triall of Officer Caesar Goodson.
Bauer said while she wrote the lesson plan, she could not recall teaching the course on September 8, 2013, when prosecutors say Officer Goodson took the class. That could contradict earlier testimony from Dr. Carol Allan, who determined Gray’s death was a homicide and not an accident.
On further questioning by prosecutors however, he said that when the van stopped at a Baltimore police station, he heard someone say they gave Gray “a run for his money” after he was found unconscious.
Chief Deputy State’s Attorney Michael Schatzow also suggested that top police officials tried to persuade the doctor who performed Gray’s autopsy to rule his death an accident rather than a homicide. Schatzow asked if Taylor’s notes about the medical examiner’s initial cause-of-death comments were written after Taylor had had the problem with Bledsoe. The trial of Officer William Porter ended in December with a hung jury. A second officer was acquitted by the judge.
On cross examination, Schatzow immediately asked Taylor about her falling out with Bledsoe during the investigation.
“No one was suggesting anything to her”, Taylor testified.
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Goodson is the third Baltimore police officer of the six charged in the case to go to trial. Gray’s death triggered protests and rioting in Baltimore and fueled a nationwide debate on police treatment of minorities. Goodson, who was the van driver, is charged with second-degree “depraved heart” murder.
Nero at his own trial testified that he helped load Freddie Gray back into the van at its second stop, after police officers put leg shackles and flex cuffs on Gray.
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The Sun also reported that as prosecutors prepared for trial, Taylor said she and Bledsoe butted heads. However, Allen testified Thursday he had used heroin and Xanax that day.
