Baltimore white officer cleared over Freddie Gray death
A US judge has delivered a not guilty verdict in the trial of a Baltimore, Maryland, police officer for crimes related to the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African American man.
In June last year, prosecutors charged a total of six police officers, including a lieutenant and a sergeant, with multiple counts including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in connection with the killing of Gray, who died of severe spinal injuries on April 19, a week after he was arrested and detained by police.
White Officer Edward Nero was found not guilty by Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams on Monday morning on all counts over the arrest and subsequent death of Gray, whose death triggered massive demonstrations and riots in the majority-black city last year.
Prosecutors had charged the 30-year-old officer with second-degree intentional assault, reckless endangerment and two counts of officer misconduct over the April 2015 incident.
They argued that Nero arrested Gray without justification and was negligent when he didn't buckle the prisoner into a seat belt. They said that the spinal injuries that led to Gray’s death resulted from him being not secured in the transport van.
Nero faced a maximum prison sentence of 10 years imprisonment for the assault charged and five years for the other charges.
Nero opted for a bench trial rather than a jury trial, meaning that Judge Williams determined his fate instead of a jury.
Baltimore has witnessed several demonstrations since Gray’s death with protesters calling it yet another case of police brutality.
The US police are accused of using excessive force against African Americans. The deaths of unarmed black men and women over the past years have sparked protests nationwide under the banner called - Black Lives Matter.
Shortly after the verdict was announced on Monday, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie-Rawlings said the city was prepared to respond to any new unrest.
“Now that the criminal case has come to an end, Officer Nero will face an administrative review by the Police Department,” the statement said. “We once again ask the citizens to be patient to allow the entire process to come to a conclusion. In the case of any disturbance to the city, we are prepared to respond. We will protect our neighborhoods, our businesses and the people of our city.”
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