Prosecutors dropped one of the five charges against Baltimore Police Lt. Brian Rice – misconduct in office based on an alleged illegal arrest – before launching into opening statements in his trial Thursday morning.
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Rice, 42, is the highest ranking officer charged in the death of Freddie Gray, who died in April of previous year, one week after suffering injuries in a police transport van.
Ball, who described Rice as an “18-year veteran, a husband, a father, (and) a Penn State grad”, said his “nine-second decision” not to put Gray into a seat belt “wasn’t criminal negligence, it was 100 percent reasonable”. Mr Williams acquitted officers Edward Nero and Caesar Goodson Jr, both of whom opted for bench trials over jury. Gray died from a broken neck suffered in a police transport van. The trial of Officer William Porter ended in December with a hung jury.
Moments before these opening statements, prosecutors told the judge they won’t pursue one of two misconduct charges Rice faces.
Prosecution argued that the six officers, including Rice, broke department protocol by not fastening Mr Gray.
Prosecutors told Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams that Rice “wasn’t an inexperienced officer” and was well aware of his duty to belt Gray in to secure his safety.
A defense attorney says Baltimore Police Lt. Brian Rice acted as any reasonable officer would when he chose not to buckle a combative arrestee into a seat belt in the tight compartment of a police transport van.
Rice was “in charge and superior in rank to everyone”, Schatzow said.
The first prosecution witness Thursday was Dr. Carol Allan, an assistant medical examiner who autopsied Gray’s body.
“He was in charge”, said Chief Deputy State’s Attorney Michael Schatzow.
Rice still faces four charges, including manslaughter and another misconduct in office charge for failing to follow general orders and hook Gray’s seatbelt.
Two other police officers will also be tried for Gray’s death.
Schatzow did not offer an explanation for the decision, and because of Judge Barry Williams gag order, can not comment on the case outside of the courtroom. But Williams said the late disclosure amounted to a discovery violation.
The manslaughter trial of Baltimore City Police Lt. Brian Rice gets underway today.
Remaining officers facing trial are Officer Garrett Miller, whose trial will begin July 27, and Sgt. Alicia White, whose trial will begin October 13.
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It still remains unclear why Gray was arrested and ultimately placed into the back of the van-other than that he’d initially run from police in a so-called high crime area after allegedly making eye contact with an officer.
