Mayor: Mosby Bowed to Political Pressure, Charged Freddie Gray Officers Too Fast
BALTIMORE (WJZ)--A new article in the New York Times magazine is causing friction between Baltimore's mayor and the city state's attorney.
In a candid article in the New York Times Magazine, Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby accuses Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of not telling the truth in the wake of Freddie Gray's death.
Mosby says she told the mayor and now former Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts, "You know, we've got to stop putting misinformation out into the media and giving that to the public. It's going to be to our detriment.'"
The state's attorney says she had heated discussions with the mayor who was upset she told the media Freddie Gray died inside the police van.
As violence erupted in the streets, Mosby also tells the NYT that she believes that the Police Department was in a rush to close the case.
"They were under the impression that Freddie Gray did this to himself. Wait a minute. The investigation is not even complete," said Mosby. "How are you going out to the public and saying you know for certain that this took place inside of the wagon?"
Hitting roadblocks, Mosby launched an independent investigation. She says the mayor and police commissioner continued to deliver misinformation exacerbating distrust.
Now the mayor is firing back at that article and Mosby, saying, "It's clear that she doesn't have the understanding of the role of a prosecutor as different from the role of the mayor."
The relationship is so fractured, Mosby says she only gave the mayor five minutes notice before announcing charges against the officers.
The mayor says Mosby caved to political pressure referencing to Mosby's press conference seen around the world.
The mayor says she pushed for transparency in the Gray investigation and says Mosby didn't feel the same.
"As soon as we had that information, we told her we had that information and she told us to hold off and don't put it out there, don't make to public," said Rawlings-Blake. "I couldn't do that. So I know she was probably upset about it."
In a heated conversation Mosby says she told the mayor "you all have single-handedly caused what's happening in this city right now."
The mayor says she is not to blame for simply doing her job. "The political pressure is real when you are in big jobs. And you can't bow to political pressure and charge when you're not ready," said Rawlings-Blake.
Mosby says the charges were never politically motivated.
Three of the officers charged in Freddie Gray's death were acquitted. There was one hung jury and charges were dropped against other officers.
This story will be updated.
