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Justice Department launches investigation into Baltimore police

Friday, 08 May 2015 2:25 PM [ Last Update: Friday, 08 May 2015 4:31 PM ]

US Attorney General Loretta Lynch speaks about Baltimore during a news conference at the Justice Department on May 8, 2015. (AFP photo)

The US Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation into whether the Baltimore Police Department has engaged in the abuse of minorities, following the death of an African-American man in police custody.

The department will investigate accusations that Baltimore police officers engaged in systemic patterns of misconduct, including discriminatory practices such as stops, searches and arrests of blacks in violation of the US Constitution, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Friday.

"Our goal is to work with the community, public officials, and law enforcement alike to create a stronger, better Baltimore," she said.

Lynch was sworn in last week as the successor to Eric Holder, whose final year as attorney general was consumed by matters of race relations and law enforcement.

This April 25, 2015 file photo shows riot police holding their position during a protest in Baltimore against the death of Freddie Gray. (AFP photo)

Riot police advance on protesters and media during protests in Baltimore on April 30, 2015. (AFP photo)

Members of the National Guard stand in front of City Hall in Baltimore on May 3, 2015. (AFP photo)

A man is detained after being pepper sprayed in the face by police at the end of a day of protests in the Sandtown neighborhood in Baltimore on May 2, 2015. (AFP photo)

The civil rights investigation follows the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who died on April 19, a week after his encounter with officers that left him with a severe spinal injury. Authorities have not explained how or when his spine was injured.

The federal probe, similar to the ones conducted in cities like Ferguson and Cleveland, will examine the policing practices of the entire Baltimore Police Department. It is far broader in scope than a separate Justice Department investigation that aims to determine whether Gray's civil rights were violated.

Large-scale protests have been held across the US after a series of high-profile deaths of unarmed African-American men by white police officers.

Protesters rally in front of City Hall in Baltimore on May 2, 2015. (AFP photo)

People walk past burning cars near the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and North Avenue in Baltimore on April 27, 2015.

The recent unrest in Baltimore over the death of Gray was the most violent in the United States since the protests in Ferguson following the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Brown by a white police officer.

AHT/HRJ

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