The charges against the three remaining police officers involved in the 2015 killing of Freddie Gray in Baltimore are dropped, resulting in yet another case in which police walk free after committing a homicide and deepening the divide between police and the Black community.
Reports indicate that the State of Maryland was dropping all charges against officer Garret Miller, officer Williams Porter and Sgt. Alicia White. Miller’s trial was suppose to start Wednesday. However, Chief Deputy State’s Attorney Michael Schatzow informed the judge the charges were being dropped.
This action follows the not-guilty verdicts of the other three officers, Edward Nero, Caesar Goodson and Lt. Brian Rice. Porter’s case ended in mistrial in December 2015. His retrial is set for September.
Gray, 25, died in April 2015 after he was arrested by the Baltimore Police Department for having what turned out to be a legal knife. While being transported in a police van in handcuffs and shackles, Gray suffered injuries to his spinal cord and dies a week later in a trauma center.
Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby filed charges against the officers after the medical examiner’s report ruled Gray’s death a homicide. The charges ranged from assault and manslaughter to second-degree murder. All of the officers pled not guilty.
The death fueled the already flaming racial tension in America. Protests and demonstrations took place across the nation in the days after Gray’s death.
“There were individual police officers that were witnesses to the case, yet were part of the investigative team, interrogations that were conducted without asking the most poignant questions, lead detectives that were completely uncooperative and started a counter-investigation to disprove the state’s case,” Mosby said a press conference Wednesday.
Mosby gained national attention after she brought charges on the officers. She received heavy criticism and was accused of abusing her power.
“I’m anti-police brutality,” she said. “And I need not remind you that the only loss—and the greatest loss —in all of this was that of Freddie Gray.s life.”
Grays stepfather, Richard Shipley, said the family is not pleased and is planning action.
“We are pissed about the decision of the trials and the outcome of all the trials that have happened here in the city,” Shipley said. “We are very proud of the prosecutors who handled the case and did their best to their ability. We stand behind Marilyn and her prosecuting team, and my family’s proud to have them represent us.”
Serving this week as secretary at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said in a statement the Baltimore Police Department will still complete an administrative review of each officer involved.
“I recognize the emotional nature of this case,” she said. “The eyes of the nation, indeed the world, have been on Baltimore for a very long time, and I thank the citizens of our city for their patience during these trials. Now I ask the citizens to again join me in being patient as the administrative process moves forward.”
Gene Ryan, president of Baltimore’s Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3, said, “Justice has been done. The evidence is proven. There was no wrongdoing by any six of these officers.”
