Arrest to death: What happened to Freddie Gray
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced charges Friday against six officers in the death of Freddie Gray. Mosby went public with the charges after her office ran its own investigation and received reports from the medical examiner and the Baltimore Police Department.
"The manner of death deemed a homicide by the Maryland State Medical Examiner is believed to be the result of a fatal injury that occurred while Mr. Gray was unrestrained by a seatbelt in the custody of the Baltimore Police Department wagon," said Mosby.
The six officers were arrested and taken to jail on Friday following Mosby's announcement, but each posted bail by the evening. Billy Murphy, the lawyer for Freddie Gray's family, said they were all grateful that charges had been filed.
"The fear that this family and everybody else in this same situation is that this will be like so many cases of police brutality swept under the rug," said Murphy. "There was no sweeping and there was no rug."
The Arrest
Gray's arrest report said he was apprehended "without force or incident" and was carrying a switchblade knife. But Mosby said Friday it was not a switchblade and that the knife was legal, which meant the arrest itself was illegal.
According to Mosby, the ordeal began Sunday morning April 12th at 8:39 a.m. when Gray exchanged glances with police, ran, and was arrested on Presbury Street. He was taken down by a maneuver known as a "leg lace" - the takedown seen on the widely circulated video of the arrest. Gray said he had trouble breathing and asked for an inhaler, which he did not get. He was placed in the back of a police van, but not seat belted, as required under police department rules.
The First Stop
At 8:46 a.m. the van stopped at Baker Street and police removed Gray, shackled him, filled out paperwork and put him back in the van.
"Officer Miller, Officer Nero and Lt. Rice then loaded Mr. Rice back into the wagon, placing him on his stomach head first onto the floor of the wagon. Once again Mr. Gray was not secured by a seatbelt in the wagon, contrary to general order."
The driver of the van, Officer Caesar Goodson, then continued driving. It was after the van left Baker Street that Gray sustained fatal injuries, according to Mosby.
"Following transport from Baker Street, Mr. Gray suffered a severe and critical neck injury as a result of being handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained inside of the BPD wagon," said Mosby.
The Second Stop
Officer Goodson stopped the van near Mosher Street and Freemont Avenue and went to check on Gray, according to Mosby.
"Despite stopping for the purpose of checking on Mr. Gray's condition at no point did he seek nor did he render any medical assistance for Mr. Gray," said Mosby.
The Third Stop
Several blocks later Officer Goodson called into dispatch to say he needed to check on the status of Gray prisoner and requested additional units, according to Mosby.
At 8:59 a.m. Officer Goodson, stopped at Druid Hill Avenue and Dolphin Street and was assisted by Officer William Porter.
"Both Officer Goodson and Officer Porter proceeded to the back of the wagon to check on the status of Mr. Gray's condition. Mr. Gray at that time requested help and indicated that he could not breathe. Officer Porter asked Mr. Gray if he needed a medic at which time Mr. Gray indicated, at least twice, that he was in need of a medic."
Mr. Porter assisted Gray from the floor of the van to the bench but did not restrain Gray or call for medical assistance, according to Mosby.
The Fourth Stop
At that point Goodson received a request to assist at the arrest of Donta Allen on North Avenue, near the original site of Freddie Gray's arrest. Goodson drove the van, with Gray still unrestrained in the back, to go pick up Allen, according to Mosby.
"Sgt. Alicia White, Officer Porter and Officer Goodson observed Mr. Gray unresponsive on the floor of the wagon. Sgt. White, who was responsible for investigating two citizen complaints pertaining to Mr. Gray's illegal arrest, spoke to the back of Mr. Gray's head. When he did not respond she did nothing further despite the fact she was advised that he needed a medic. She made no effort to look, or assess or determine his condition."
Arrival at the Police Station
Once Allen was loaded in the other partition of the van, Gray was finally driven to the Western District Police Station, arriving after 9 a.m.
"Mr. Gray was no longer breathing at all. A medic was finally called to the scene where upon arrival determined gray was in cardiac arrest and critically and severely injured," said Mosby.
Gray died a week later.
The most serious charges, including second-degree depraved-heart murder, were leveled against Officer Caesar Goodson, the driver of the van.
"Officer Goodson, in a grossly negligent manner, chose to respond to the 1600 block of West N. Avenue with Mr. Gray still unsecured by a seat belt in the wagon without rendering to or summoning medical assistance for Mr. Gray," said Mosby.
Attorney Michael Davey is representing one of the officers but spoke on Friday for all six. He says they did nothing wrong.
"The actions taken today by the state's attorney are an egregious rush to judgment and we have grave concerns about the fairness and integrity of the prosecution of our officers," said Davey.
Mosby ended her announcement with a plea for peace.
"Last, but certainly not least to the youth of this city, I will seek justice on your behalf. This is a moment, this is your moment," said Mosby. "Let's ensure that we have peaceful and productive rallies that will develop structural and systemic changes for generations to come."