DOJ won’t bring federal charges against officers in Freddie Gray case
Baltimore Police Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr., Officer Edward M. Nero, Officer Garrett E Miller (top L-R), Officer William G. Porter, Lt. Brian W. Rice, Sgt. Alicia D. White (bottom L-R), are pictured in these undated booking photos provided by the Baltimore Police Department. The Department of Justice will not seek charges against these officers involved in the death of Freddie Gray in 2015. File photo courtesy of Baltimore Police Department/Handout via REUTERS.
The Department of Justice will not pursue federal charges against Baltimore police officers involved in the death of Freddie Gray, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.
Gray, 25, died from spinal cord injuries sustained in police custody in April 2015, sparking protests across Baltimore and a launching a federal investigation into the city’s policing practices.
The city reached a $6.4 million settlement with Gray’s family in 2015. But many residents and activists angered by his death looked for justice from the courts. The first trial, which sought state charges against six officers, ended in a mistrial after a hung jury could not reach a decision. Three officers were acquitted separately by juries last year, and last summer, state prosecutors dropped all other charges against the three remaining officers in the case.
The Baltimore police department has been embroiled in a number of other controversies in recent months, including the possible planting and mishandling of evidence by officers. In April, a federal judge placed Baltimore under a consent decree, which will pour millions of dollars into improving city law enforcement, despite Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ efforts to phase out the program. The consent decree was seen, in part, as a way to regain public trust in the department, eroded ever since Gray’s death more than two years ago.
Five of the officers will still face disciplinary trials within the police department, the Associated Press said. They begin Oct. 30.
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