Six Baltimore police officers will face charges in the death of Freddie Gray. 25-year-old Gray suffered from a severe neck injury while being transported, handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained inside a police van. It is against the law to transport a prisoner without proper restraints (such as a safety belt). The police union put in a request for an independent prosecutor, stating that Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby has conflicts of interests. They also criticized her for not being patient enough to wait until the police finished with their inquiry.
The officers involved face charges such as second-degree assault and involuntary manslaughter and could potentially face up to a decade (or more) in prison. The officers who were charged in the death of Freddie Gray are: Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr., 45, Lt. Brian W. Rice, 41, Sgt. Alicia D. White, 30, Officer William G. Porter, 25, Officer Garrett E. Miller, 26, and Officer Edward M. Nero, 29. Second-degree depraved-heart murder is punishable by up to three decades in prison. According to court documents, the six disgraced officers have a preliminary hearing on May 27. The records also indicated that all have paid bail. Bail for Goodson, White, Porter and Rice had been set at $350,000 each. Nero and Miller each had a bail of $250,000. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake ordered police Commissioner Anthony Batts to immediately suspend all officers facing charges.
