Six police officers will face charges in connection with the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, after a medical examiner ruled his death a homicide, Baltimore’s top prosecutor announced today (May 1).
Gray died of a spinal injury sustained after officers took him in custody and transported him in a police van on April 12. The driver of the vehicle faces the most serious charge in the case, that of second-degree “depraved heart” murder. Gray’s death has sparked widespread protests against police brutality in Baltimore, and across the country.
“We have probable cause to file criminal charges,” state’s attorney Marilyn Mosby said, adding that “no one is above the law.” She said that there was no reason for Gray’s arrest in the first place, as the knife he was carrying was not a switchblade, and thus was legal in Baltimore.
Mosby urged for calm in the city:”I heard your call for ‘no justice, no peace,’ however your peace is sincerely needed as I work to deliver justice on behalf of Freddie Gray,” she said.