Police Continue Efforts To Keep Calm In the City As 3rd Night Of Curfew Ahead
BALTIMORE (WJZ ) --Baltimore is still under a state of emergency days after violence erupts in the city.
WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren has more on the efforts to restore calm to the city and looking toward the 3rd night of curfew.
More than 5,000 police and members of the nation guard remain deployed around Baltimore to keep the peace, and the city has remained calm.
"We have the same sort of response as we had yesterday; resources staged throughout the city so in the event something pops up, we'll be able to quickly address it," Baltimore Police Capt. Eric Kowalcyzk said.
But there are major demonstrations planned for the weekend -- including one expected to draw 10,000 protestors Saturday.
Pastor Tyrell Green will be among them.
"I'm glad it's peaceful but I'm wondering where's the movement?" Green asked. "What's the next phase? What's the next step? What are we going to do now?"
At this point, there's no indication the mayor plans to cut the curfew short. At the epicenter -- Pennsylvania and North avenues -- there's still a very visible police presence.
"We've had a very dark time, but there's also a resiliency that is characteristically Baltimore," Tynesha Smith, a friend of Freddie Gray, said. "I hung with him everyday."
Smith was close friend of Gray -- and like so many -- is outraged over his death -- and sees tensions still simmering across the city.
Hellgren: Are you worries there could be more violence?
Smith: Of course I'm worried because if we don't get justice, it's going to be 20 times worse. You see this library? That's going to be down.
"That's not the way to get things down. The proper way to get things done is the legal way and the lawful way," said Miriam Smith, of Baltimore. "That's the only way justice can be done."
Police now say 98 officers have been injured since the unrest started.
