Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby announces that criminal charges will be filed against Baltimore police officers in the death of Freddie Gray on May 1, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. Gray died in police custody after being arrested on April 12, 2015. ; Credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images
Promising justice for Freddie Gray, Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced this morning that the 25-year-old’s death in police custody was a homicide, and that six Baltimore officers would be charged criminally.
Mosby’s speech was pointed, yet emotional. In it, she said she heard protesters cries for “no justice, no peace” and urged them to remain peaceful while she pursues justice. She thanked the Baltimore Police Department for its hard work, and noted that the charges on the six officers shouldn’t be an indictment on the entire department.
Officer Caesar Goodson, Jr., who drove the police van that carried Freddie Gray, is charged with second-degree murder, the most serious of any of the charges the six officers face. Others include involuntary manslaughter, misconduct in office, and false imprisonment. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake also held a press conference this morning to announce that five of the six officers charged were in custody.
How is the city of Baltimore reacting to the news of the criminal charges filed? What are the next steps for the prosecution in the investigation into Freddie Gray’s death? Are the officers responsible for Freddie Gray’s death?
Guests:
Peter Moskos, associate professor in the Department of Law and Police Science at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He was a Baltimore City Police Officer from 1999-2001.
Dr. Michael Baden, M.D., former Chief Medical Examiner of New York City and former chief forensic pathologist for the New York State Police; Last year, Dr. Baden performed an independent autopsy on Michael Brown at the request of Brown’s family.
David A. Harris, Professor of Law at the University of Pittsburgh Law School, where he studies, writes and teaches about police behavior and regulation. He’s the author of “Good Cops: The Case for Preventive Policing” (The New Press, 2005)
Michael Schwartz, Partner at the law firm Rains Lucia Stern, who specializes in defending police officers. He defended one of the officers in the Kelly Thomas trial
Lance Lucas, President of the Greater Baltimore Black Chamber of Commerce