Baltimore’s top prosecutor has announced criminal charges against all six officers who were suspended following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody.
State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, in announcing the charges today, said, “No one is above the law.”
Mosby says the death of Gray, from an unexplained spinal injury, “was a homicide.” She says his arrest was illegal in the first place — and that his treatment in custody amounted to murder and manslaughter.
The stiffest charge — second-degree murder — was filed against the driver of the police van that carried Gray to the station. The other five officers face charges of involuntary manslaughter, assault and illegal arrest.
Mosby says the switchblade that officers said Gray had illegally carried clipped inside his pants was in fact a knife that was legal for him to carry, and that there was no justification for his arrest.
The announcement came after nearly two weeks of growing anger over Gray’s death.
And it came as the city braced for two more waves of protests today and tomorrow. The city is still under a nighttime curfew that took effect the day after the rioting that followed Gray’s funeral on Monday.
Guest
- Jeff Brady, national desk correspondent for NPR. He tweets @jeffbradynpr.
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