The six Baltimore police officers involved in the death of Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old man who died of massive spinal cord injuries while in custody, will face criminal charges, Baltimore State Attorney Marilyn Mosby said at a press conference today.
According to The New York Times, one officer has been charged with second-degree murder, and Mosby said there was probable cause for manslaughter, homicide, and misconduct charges for all the officers.
Officers arrested Gray on the morning of April 12, and during the ride to the police station, Gray sustained serious injuries that ultimately led to his death a week later. Baltimore police did not put Gray's seatbelt on in the van, which is official policy.
The Baltimore police completed their investigation into Gray's death on Thursday and turned over the results to Mosby's office. The Medical Examiner's office handed over its autopsy report, which ruled Gray's death a homicide, CBS reported.
“The findings of our comprehensive, thorough, and independent investigation coupled with the ME’s determination that Mr. Gray’s death was a homicide which we received today, has led us to believe that we have probable cause to file criminal charges,” Mosby said at the press conference.
This is the second time this year that police officers have faced criminal charges in the killings of Black men. South Carolina officer Michael Slager was charged with murder in April for shooting Walter Scott in the back after a traffic stop.
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