Officers from the Baltimore Sheriff’s Department arrest a protestor after the announcement that a jury was unable to reach a verdict in the trial of an officer in the Freddie Gray case. They had sent him a note after 16 hours of deliberations to inform him they were deadlocked on all four charges, including manslaughter.
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“In the case of any disturbance in the city we are prepared to respond”, she said.
Commissioner Davis, who assumed command of the department after the April riots, which caused significant damage to property, suspended officers’ leave ahead of the jury deliberations this week.
The date for a new trial was expected to be set on Thursday.
In Gray’s neighborhood, Sandtown, the streets were quiet, with few extra officers on patrol.
Baltimore pastor Jamal Bryant said he was “disappointed” by the mistrial.
“They didn’t offer him immunity. They don’t care about us”.
In court testimony and interviews, Porter and his family, friends and neighbors described an honest officer dedicated to and respected by his community.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake repeated calls for Baltimore residents to respect the outcome of the trial. But I will say, legal analysts have always said this is a really tough case. Freddie gray’s family with a message just moments ago in and ABC’s senior national correspondent Jim Avila is on the ground in Baltimore tonight.
A mistrial has been declared in the case of a Baltimore police officer accused over the death of Freddie Gray, a black man who received a fatal spine injury in custody.
“I think there were always questions as to whether they would be able to get Porter on the stand in those cases anyway”, says University of Baltimore law professor David Jaros.
Prosecutors now must determine whether, and how, to proceed with the case against Mr Porter. Homicides have soared and the pressure on city officials has been unrelenting since Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby charged six officers in Gray’s death. Of a new trial, he said: “It’s a do-over – with a preview of the evidence”.
Officer Porter was charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, misconduct in office, and reckless endangerment in associated with Gray’s death. Later, a cellphone video surfaced showing him screaming as he was dragged into the police van. Five other officers are scheduled to go on trial beginning in January.
Gray’s death highlighted growing concern over the treatment of black Americans by police officers which was touched off in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014 with the death of teenager Michael Brown. Seven jurors are black and five are white. “Race plays a role in every aspect of our criminal justice system”, Gray said. Rose was arrested minutes later, after officials ordered the crowd to disperse because it was “an unlawful assembly”. “That’s important. The prosecution resonated with the jury in some capacity – and that is undeniable”. The jury was deadlocked on all the charges. But it’s no surprise the jury wasn’t able to reach a verdict, he said.
But legal experts said it was not clear prosecutors could have compelled Porter to testify, given that he might expose himself to potential federal civil charges. At one point during the trial, his mother, Gloria Darden, left in tears.
They say he could have called a medic for Gray sooner and should have ensured he was wearing a seat belt.
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“We ask the public to remain calm and patient”, said Gray’s stepfather, Richard Shipley”. “We must continue to channel our emotions into strong, positive change, so that, as a city, we truly see our young men of color before it is too late”, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, said in a statement.
