Porter Trial Continues With More Key Testimony
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It is week two in the trial of Officer William Porter. More important testimony in the courtroom.
Porter is the first officer to go on trial in the death of Freddie Gray. He is facing multiple charges, including manslaughter.
WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren more on Monday's testimony.
The final witness of the day was an EMT who responded to the final stop--the Western District Police Station. She said when she got there, police did not initially take her to the van, and when she got to the van, she started screaming expletives because of the condition Freddie Gray was in.
It caps a day focused on pivotal testimony about whether Gray's death was an accident or a homicide.
#PorterTrial:Judge denied defense request to declare a mistrial b/c prosecution withheld info about prior Gray back injury @cbsbaltimore
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) December 7, 2015
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Defense questioned prosecution medical witnesses several times about whether #FreddieGray past injury would make difference @cbsbaltimore
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) December 7, 2015
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Dr. Morris Soriano, an expert on brain and spinal cord injuries, told jurors that Freddie Gray ended up braindead, but would have survived if he had gotten immediate medical care--and--failing to put him in a seat belt and driving him around in a police van likely made his spinal injuries worse.
LIVE BLOG: William Porter Trial
Those injuries took center stage as the trial of Officer William Porter entered its second week, with lawyers for Officer Porter grilling the assistant medical examiner, Dr. Carol Allan, insinuating the state's attorney pressured her to rule Gray's death a homicide.
"She made it very clear that if medical attention in her mind was called for at stop number four, that that would, in effect, save Freddie Gray's life," said Warren Alperstein, lawyer.
Dr. Allan also testified Gray was inside a 19-inch space in the van, shackled on his stomach. She thought that was dangerous. None of the cameras inside the police van were working.
"Nobody really knows what happened, and that's the point the defense is trying to make is if you don't know, how can you expect a jury to determine beyond a reasonable doubt?" said Alperstein.
RELATED: Jury Sees Officer's Video Statement In Freddie Gray Trial
While the judge has tried to shield the jury from outside influences, outside the courthouse, an artist put up a banner and rolling billboard against police brutality.
"You're not going to earn the trust of the community with denials or coverups," said Michael D'Antuono, activist.
And there was a shakeup that changed the make-up of the jury--the judge dismissed Juror 8, a black woman, because of a medical emergency, replacing her with a white man.
"I think it does bring a different perspective to the deliberations, so that's probably going to be a good thing as opposed to something that we should be concerned about," said J. Wyndal Gordon, lawyer.
The prosecution could rest as early as Tuesday.
The judge has promised to have the trial wrapped up within the next ten days.
