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Freddie Gray

Freddie Gray27 posts

Freddie Gray was a Baltimore resident who was arrested on April 12, 2015. During his journey to the station in a police van Gray was found unresponsive. He was taken to hospital and died on April 19. His death sparked riots in Baltimore and Chicago and protests across the United States. Six police officers involved in his arrest have been charged with multiple counts, including manslaughter, homicide, and misconduct.

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13 Oct, 2015

Officers appear in court

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All, six officers appear in court in Baltimore in front of Judge Williams, who will determine whether their still undisclosed statements will be allowed at trial. The officers who gave interviews want the statements thrown out, claiming were not read their rights. They say they feared they’d lose their jobs if they refused to talk to internal police investigators. They also saying the statements violate Maryland’s law enforcement officers’ bill of rights, which says police cannot be prosecuted for statements they were forced to give on the job. All officers except Goodson speak at length about the ride.

8 Sep, 2015

$6.4 million wrongful death settlement

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Baltimore officials reach a $6.4 million wrongful death settlement with Gray’s family. The deal still must be approved on Wed 9 September by the city’s Board of Estimates, the governing body that oversees the city’s spending. $2.8 million will be paid to Gray’s family this fiscal year, and $3.6 million in the fiscal year beginning next July. The settlement also calls for the Baltimore police department to begin requiring its officers to wear body cameras. The mayor’s office says the settlement will resolve any civil claims against the city, the police department and the individual officers, but is not an admission of liability and would not impact the criminal cases.

The proposed settlement agreement going before the Board of Estimates should not be interpreted as a judgment on the guilt or innocence of the officers facing trial. This settlement is being proposed solely because it is in the best interest of the city, and avoids costly and protracted litigation that would only make it more difficult for our city to heal and potentially cost taxpayers many millions more in damages.

2 Sep, 2015

Orders separate trials

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Williams orders separate trials for the defendants. He rejects a prosecution motion that Officer Goodson, the van driver; Officer Nero, who had helped arrest Gray; and Sergeant White, who was an on-duty supervisor, should be tried together and the other three separately.

Having Officers Goodson and Nero together is not in the interest of justice.

Charges stand

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The defense motion for the charges to be dropped is denied by Circuit Court Judge Williams. Defense attorneys had sought to drop the charges because of prosecutorial misconduct on the part of State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.  said that while he was “troubled” by some of the comments Mosby made during a May 1 news conference, they did not compromise the defendants’ right to a fair trial. The judge also deniess a motion to recuse Mosby and her staff due to what defense attorneys characterized as conflicts of interest.

7 Aug, 2015

Prosecutors accused of hiding evidence

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Defense attorneys for six Baltimore police officers file a motion alleging that investigators for the Baltimore Police Department had information that Gray had a history of intentionally injuring himself in order to collect insurance money. The attorneys allege that police investigators knew that Gray once injured himself so severely while in a Baltimore jail that he required medical attention. The attorneys say in documents that when police investigators tried to follow up on the evidence, prosecutors in the state’s attorney’s office told them “not to do the defense attorneys’ jobs for them.”

The motion also says that high-ranking members of the state’s attorney’s office met with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner a week before Gray’s autopsy was complete and his death ruled a homicide. In addition, attorneys say the prosecutors didn’t provide the medical examiner’s office with a copy of the statement of Donta Allen, the man who had been inside the police van where Gray suffered his injury. Investigators initially said Allen told them that Gray had been making banging noises in the back of the van. But Allen later told the media that police had exaggerated his account.

23 Jun, 2015

Leaked autopsy report condemned

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Gray’s autopsy report is leaked to the media. The Maryland medical examiner and prosecutor’s office states they had refused to release the report. There are no details as to who the leak happened or who is responsible but the State’s Attorney condemns the leak. Mosby:

I want to make it very clear that the state’s attorney’s office did not release the Freddie Gray autopsy report. As I have repeatedly stated, I strongly condemn anyone with access to trial evidence who has leaked information prior to the resolution of this case.

Autopsy shows high impact injury

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Gray’s autopsy reveals he died from a high impact injury which broke his spine.

The injury, similar to those suffered in shallow-water diving, was most likely caused when the van suddenly decelerated.

21 May, 2015

Indicted by grand jury

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Mosby announces grand jury indictments against the police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray.

These past two weeks, my team has been presenting evidence to a grand jury that just today returned indictments against all six officers.

Arraignment against the officers in the case is scheduled for July 2

13 May, 2015

Shares Dance Rally 4 Peace concert

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Prince and his band 3rdEyeGirl share a free soundboard-quality recording of his May 2 “Dance Rally 4 Peace” concert via Soundcloud. The concert features some of the artist’s lesser-known hard-rock tracks, such as Dreamer, Guitar and Chaos & Disorder, alongside frequent guitar solos and improvisation. At the end of the recording, Prince speaks directly to the crowd:

Do me a favor and take care of each other, all right? It don’t matter the color; we’re all family.

https://soundcloud.com/prince3eg/dancerally4peace

10 May, 2015

Performs Baltimore ‘Rally 4 Peace’ concert

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Prince performs a live show at the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, featuring classic hits and his protest song, Baltimore. 3rdEyeGirl backs Prince in front of an audience wearing mostly gray, in honor of Gray. Prince:

You look around, and the system is broken. It’s gonna take the young people to fix it this time. We need new ideas, new life. Most of all, we need new peace. And the kind of peace I’m talking about is spelled p-i-e-c-e. Next time I come to Baltimore, I want to stay in a hotel owned by one of you.

On-stage guests included Doug E. Fresh, Estellem Miguel, and State Attorney Mosby, who was seated on a leather couch on the left side of the stage, and about 20 minutes into the concert she was led to the center by Prince.

9 May, 2015

Baltimore

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Prince releases his protest song, which was recorded on April 30 at Paisley Park Studios. Prince plays all the instruments himself. The song includes the following lyrics:

Does anybody hear us pray?/for Michael Brown or Freddie Gray/Peace is more than the absence of war

If there ain’t no justice/then there ain’t no peace

https://soundcloud.com/prince3eg/baltimore

8 May, 2015

Dismissal filing cites conflict of interest

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Attorneys for the six Baltimore police officers charged in Gray’s death file a motion to have the case dismissed or have Marilyn Mosby’s office taken off the case. The motion lists what attorneys say are numerous conflicts of interest and concerns about the investigation. The filing says Marilyn Mosby’s husband, City Councilman Nick Mosby, represents the West Baltimore district where Gray was arrested, and that one of her chief prosecutors is in a relationship with a local television reporter who interviewed the prisoner who was in the police van with Gray on April 12. The filing also says Marilyn Mosby has a close professional and personal relationship with Murphy, the Gray family’s lawyer and unofficial spokesman. Filing:

Mrs. Mosby’s connection to Mr. Murphy is of great concern to the undersigned counsel and it should be of greater concern to the residents of this city/ The connection between Mrs. Mosby and Mr. Murphy is undeniable and the conflict it creates is detrimental in the pursuit of justice.

5 May, 2015

Files to see knife

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Lawyers for Nero file a motion in Baltimore District Court, asking the police department and prosecutor to produce the knife that was the reason for Gray’s arrest. Mosby, when charging Nero, said that Gray’s knife was legal under Maryland law, meaning Nero had arrested Gray illegally. If the knife is deemed to be an illegal knife then Nero’s charges of second-degree assault, misconduct in office and false imprisonment will fail, as Gray’s arrest would have been justified.

1 May, 2015

GoFundme page removed

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A funding page for the six officers set up by The Fraternal Order of Police, a union representing Baltimore City police officers, is removed by the site. The page set a fundraising goal of $600,000 to pay for the living expenses of the six officers, who have been placed on unpaid suspension after they were charged in Gray’s death. In 41 minutes, the page raised $1,135. The FOP posts on its Facebook page:

Apparently our GoFundMe account has been suspended with no explanation. We are working to find a new site for donations. Thank you!

Six officers charged

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Prosecutors file homicide, manslaughter and misconduct charges against police officers. State’s attorney Mosby, says officers abused Gray, arrested him without grounds and violated police procedure by putting him in handcuffs and leg restraints in the van without putting a seatbelt on him, as well as repeatedly failing to seek medical attention after he was injured. Mosby also says that the knife Gray was not a switchblade, was lawful, and that the officers had failed to establish probable cause for an arrest. Mosby:

We have probable cause to file criminal charges

Goodson is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, assault and misconduct in office. Rice is charged with manslaughter, assault, misconduct in office and false imprisonment. Officer Porter and Sgt. White are each charged with manslaughter, assault and misconduct in office. Officers Nero and Miller are charged with assault, misconduct in office and false imprisonment.

Freddie Gray's death ruled homicide; charges to be pressed against police

30 Apr, 2015

Cause of death

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Police announce that cause of death is determined to be an injury from the accident. Coroner bases conclusion on the results of the autopsy which indicates that a broken neck is the cause of death and not anything occurring during the arrest. Spokesman:

The medical examiner found Gray’s catastrophic injury was caused when he slammed into the back of the police transport van, apparently breaking his neck. [However, he added] We don’t do preliminary findings, and the investigation isn’t concluded.

28 Apr, 2015

Riots spread to Chicago

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Hundreds of protesters line the streets in front of Police Headquarters in Chicago to register their concern and objections to a series of police shootings across the country. While protests were initially peaceful, later protesters began shoving against a police line. No injuries have been reported although several people are said to be in custody. Demonstrator:

Police are doing a lot of scary things in America right now, and it’s dangerous to be black in America right now, and they’re fighting back the only way we know how to now.

Condemns violence

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Obama condemns the violence in Baltimore and expressed condolences to the family of Gray.

There is no excuse for the kind of violence we saw yesterday. It is counter-productive…People are stealing and damaging their own communities and that is no statement on police brutality or any other kind of issue.

Obama remarks on violent unrest in Baltimore

19 Apr, 2015

Freddie Gray dead age 25

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In the week since his arrest Gray suffers from total cardiopulmonary arrest at least once but is resuscitated without ever regaining consciousness. He lapsed into a coma with three fractured vertebrae, injuries to his “voice box”, and his spine “80% severed” at his neck. An autopsy confirms that Gray died from a severe injury to his spinal cord. Gray family attorney:

He lapsed into a coma, died, was resuscitated, stayed in a coma and on Monday underwent extensive surgery at Shock Trauma to save his life. He clung to life for seven days.

12 Apr, 2015

Van arrives at station

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The van arrives at the Western District police station. Gray is not breathing and a medic is called. He is taken to the University of Maryland’s Shock Trauma Center.