Edward Nero Trial Continues Friday, More Witnesses to be Called
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Key evidence was presented in the second day of Officer Edward Nero's trial on Friday. A recorded interview was played in court. In it, Nero describes what happened to Freddie Gray, admitting was not seat belted in the police van where he suffered his fatal injuries.
WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren describes the Officer Nero interview in detail and has more on the possibility of other officers charged in Gray's death testifying.
Every officer, except for the van driver Officer Caesar Goodson, gave a statement to police. Edward Nero described a chaotic scene in his videotaped statement, but never thought Gray was injured during the initial arrest.
For the first time, the judge heard Officer Edward Nero describe Freddie Gray's arrest in his own words through a recorded statement prosecutors introduced into evidence.
Nero waived his rights while speaking to police investigators and calmly described Gray as resisting, uncooperative and combative.
A trained EMT, Officer Nero said he never believed Gray was in any medical distress. He said everything was happening fast, that fellow officer Garrett Miller threatened to tase Gray if he didn't calm down, but Miller never did. Nero also admitted that Gray was not seat belted inside the police van.
"We have to hear from Officer Miller, who is going to be compelled to testify in this case. And it's only when we put all of the evidence togehter, can we establish whether or not they've gotten beyond a reasonable doubt," said Davis Jaros, University of Baltimore School of Law.
Prosecutors played CitiWatch camera videos for the judge step by step, highlighting the officers' every move.
They called Gray's friend, Brandon Ross, to the stand. He was with Gray that day, and recorded images of the arrest. Ross testified Officer Nero grabbed Gray by the waist and threw him into the police van on his stomach. He couldn't say why Gray and another man ran in the first place.
"The law is abundantly clear, laid out by the Supreme Court, it says if you run from the police in a high-crime area, that police have the absolute right to pursue and apprehend and even use force, including putting handcuffs on that individual who ran," said Warren Alperstein, lawyer and courtroom observer.
Cell phone video of the Gray arrest was played in court, but the audio was muted.
As for officers William Porter and Garrett Miller, who are supposed to testify, they have yet to take the stand.
It's not clear if Officer Nero will testify in his own defense.
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