Goodson is the second of six Baltimore police officers charged in connection with the death of Freddie Gray. Goodson, 46, was the driver of the police transport van where Gray, who was arrested after fleeing police, suffered a broken neck. He is the only one of six officers charged in Gray’s death not to speak to police investigators. Like the other five officers, Goodson has pleaded not guilty to all charges and will stand trial before Judge Barry Williams, of the Maryland Circuit Court.
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Mr. Goodson faces the harshest charges out of the six – second-degree murder, with a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. However, he may be the first to yield a conviction, as the one before him, the manslaughter trial of Officer William G. Porter, ended up with a hung jury last month.
Prosecutors say the officers should be held accountable for Gray’s fatal injuries because they left him handcuffed and shackled at the legs but unbuckled by a seatbelt, making him vulnerable to injury inside the metal compartment.
Gray’s death in April exposed the deep divide between the public and the police in Baltimore, and became a national symbol of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Analysts believe tensions between police and citizens have reached an all-time high in recent years over the use of excessive force by police, particularly against minorities. Goodson, they say, bears the most responsibility because as the wagon driver, Gray was technically in his custody.
Assistant Attorney General Carrie Williams, responding for the prosecutors, argued that Porter’s motion to block his testimony was not properly filed and that he would be protected from perjury charges by the judge’s limited grant of immunity.
In his own trial, Porter testified that he told Goodson that Gray needed to be taken to the hospital when he arrived to check out the prisoner.
Prosecutors have revealed little about the case they plan to present against Goodson, who is also black.
The prosecution is also expected to call retired Maryland State Police Maj. The order did not preclude the Goodson’s trial from moving forward, but only meant that Porter could not testify – at least for the moment.
Defense attorneys and prosecutors can’t comment because they are under a gag order.
“Despite stopping for the goal of checking on Mr. Gray’s condition, at no point did (Goodson) seek nor did he render any medical assistance for Mr. Gray”, prosecutor Marilyn Mosby said a year ago.
“I don’t think the state can come close to meeting its burden without Porter’s testimony”.
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A protest is planned for 5 p.m.; demonstrators say this is a sign that they can’t get justice.
