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Baltimore Officials: Taxpayers to Pay $6.4m Settlement to Family of Freddie Gray

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Officials with the City of Baltimore say that they have negotiated a wrongful death settlement with the family of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African American man whose death last April in police custody set off riots across the city.

According to CBS DC, under the agreement, Baltimore taxpayers would pay $6.4 million to Gray’s family. However, the proposed settlement must still seek the approval of the city’s Board of Estimates, which is set to consider the arrangement on Wednesday at 9 a.m.

Six Baltimore police officers are currently facing criminal charges related to Gray’s death, which has been ruled a homicide caused by a high energy neck and spine injury resulting from officers’ failure to follow safety procedures during a rough van ride in which Gray’s hands and feet were bound and in which he was not wearing a safety belt. Truth in Media’s Rachel Blevins noted that “the medical examiner compared Gray’s injury to a person diving headfirst into shallow water.”

All six officers have pleaded not guilty to the charges and face a hearing on Thursday at which a judge will choose a venue for the criminal proceedings.

[RELATED: Officer Who Pursued Freddie Gray Has History of Violence, Mental Health Issues]

“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,” read a statement by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “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.”

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the agreement calls for the $6.4 million settlement to be paid over two years, with $2.8 million set to be issued to Gray’s family in the first year and $3.6 million in the following year.

Police Accountability, Police State

Freddie Gray Autopsy: Homicide By ‘High-Energy’ Impact

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Baltimore – The autopsy of Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old black man who died while in police custody in April, reveals that he suffered a “high-energy injury” to his neck and spine.

The Baltimore Sun obtained a copy of the autopsy results, and reported that the state medical examiner concluded Gray’s death was a homicide, rather than an accident, “because officers failed to follow safety procedures through acts of omission.”

Gray was arrested on April 12 in Baltimore after he made eye contact with a police officer, and then stared running in the opposite direction. He received the “high-energy injury” that left his spine 80 percent detached from his neck and put him in a coma during his time in police custody. After not receiving proper medical attention, Gray died on April 19.

The medical examiner compared Gray’s injury to a person diving headfirst into shallow water and noted that while Gray was loaded into the van on his stomach, and his wrists and ankles were shackled, he was not belted in, which put him “at risk for an unsupported fall during acceleration or deceleration of the van.”

The report concludes that Gray’s death was “not an unforeseen event,” and that when a “vulnerable individual was injured during operation of the vehicle,” the injury would likely be fatal “without prompt medical attention.”

The circumstances that led up to Gray’s death resulted in protests across the country, and six Baltimore officers faced criminal charges. State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced that Gray’s death had been ruled a homicide on May 1.

The “Baltimore Six” is comprised of Officer William G. Porter, Lieutenant Brian W. Rice, Officer Edward M. Nero, Officer Garrett E. Miller, Sergeant Alicia D. White and Officer Caesar R. Goodson, Jr.

Goodson, the officer who was driving the van Gray was transported in, faces the most severe charges, including misconduct in office, manslaughter by vehicle (criminal negligence), manslaughter by vehicle (gross negligence), involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault and second-degree depraved-heart murder.

On May 21, Mosby announced that all six of the officers have been indicted by a grand jury in Baltimore. The officers responded by pleading “not guilty” to the charges, and a trial will be held in October. The Baltimore Sun noted that the case will be presided by Judge Barry G. Williams, “a former city prosecutor and civil rights litigator with a no-nonsense reputation.”

Civil Liberties, Editor’s Pick, Featured, Government Accountability, Police Accountability, US

Breaking: “Baltimore Six” Indicted By Grand Jury In Freddie Gray Death

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Baltimore, MD- Each of the six officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray have been indicted by a grand jury in Baltimore.

State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby made the announcement on Thursday. The charges handed down to the “Baltimore Six” by the grand jury are similar to the charges filed by Mosby.

The officers are scheduled for arraignment on July 2nd.

Freddie Gray was arrested on April 12th after he made eye contact with officers and then ran away. Somehow during the process of being arrested, Gray’s spine became 80% detached from his neck. By the time he was taken to the hospital he had slipped into a coma. He died a week later.

Baltimore State’s Attorney Mosby has said Gray’s neck was broken because he was injured while being handcuffed, shackled and placed head-first into a police van. She says charges were brought against the officers in part because Gray’s pleas for medical attention were repeatedly ignored.

 

Civil Liberties, Editor’s Pick, Featured, Government Accountability, Government Corruption, Police Accountability, Politics, US

Report: Thousands Of Suspects In Baltimore Arrests Required Medical Attention

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The mysterious death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who was denied medical attention and died from a severe spinal injury while in police custody, has led many to question how often suspects obtain injuries from their encounters with police officers, and how many of them receive proper medical care.

The Baltimore Sun reported that according to records obtained through a Maryland Public Information Act request, the Baltimore City Detention Center has “refused to admit nearly 2,600 detainees who were in police custody” between June 2012 and April 2015, with intake officers citing injuries such as “fractured bones, facial trauma and hypertension.”

While the records obtained by the Sun redacted the names of the detainees, the report used the story of Salahudeen Abdul-Aziz as an example of what many suspects endure. Abdul-Aziz was denied entry to Baltimore’s detention center after he was brought in by police with a broken nose, a fractured face and other injuries. He went to court, on the claim that he had been beaten by police and then arrested, and he was awarded $170,000 by a jury in 2011.

In Gray’s case, he was arrested on April 12, after he made eye contact with Baltimore Police Lieutenant Brian Rice, and then took off running. Rice, who had been suspended from the Baltimore Police Department and had his guns confiscated twice for mental health issues and for reported stalking, harassment and threats of violence, pursued Gray and arrested him, claiming that he was carrying an illegal knife.

Both a picture of the knife Gray was carrying, and an explanation behind the cause of the severe spinal injury that led to his death on April 19, have yet to be made public.

State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced on May 1 that the knife Gray was carrying was legal, that Gray was arrested illegally, and his death was ultimately ruled a homicide. Six officers have been charged for Gray’s death and they were all released on bonds ranging from $250,000 to $350,000 the same day.

Gray, who was healthy prior to his arrest, is suspected to have severed his spine during the 45 minutes he spent in a police transport van, which made four stops on its way to the jail. According to Mosby, at least five of Gray’s requests for medical attention were not answered by officers.

The Baltimore Sun reported that after investigating over 100 lawsuits against Baltimore city police officers, where the city “paid more than $6 million in court judgments and settlements,” it found that “dozens of residents accused police of inflicting severe injuries during questionable arrests and disregarding appeals for medical attention.”

While some criminologists and law enforcement experts say that suspects often fake injuries to avoid being put in a jail cell, the Sun noted that they also say Gray’s death “shows that police lack adequate training to detect injuries.”

A. Dwight Pettit, an attorney who has sued many Baltimore officers over the last 40 years, told the Baltimore Sun the data proves that the officers don’t really care about their public.

“It goes to demonstrate the callous indifference the officers show when they are involved with the public,” said Pettit. “Why would they render medical care when they rendered many of the injuries on the people?”

On Wednesday, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced that she has asked the Department of Justice to investigate the city’s police force for the practices of excessive use of force and civil rights violations.

Civil Liberties, Government Accountability, Government Corruption, Police Accountability, Police State, Politics, US

Officer Who Pursued Freddie Gray Has History of Violence, Mental Health Issues

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Baltimore Police Lieutenant Brian Rice, the officer who initially pursued 25-year-old Freddie Gray after Gray “caught his eye” and then took off running, has been involved in previous incidents that resulted in his suspension and the confiscation of his guns, according to a recent report.

Gray, who was chased by Baltimore Police and then arrested for allegedly carrying an illegal knife on April 12, suffered a severe spinal injury and died in police custody on April 19.

State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced on Friday that Gray was arrested illegally, and ruled his death a homicide. Six officers were charged, and then released on bonds ranging from $250,000 to $350,000 the same day.

Rice was one of the six officers charged in Gray’s death, and his charges include one count of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second degree assault, two counts of misconduct while in office, and one count of false imprisonment.

The Baltimore Sun noted that Rice was hired by the Baltimore Police Department in 1997, was promoted to lieutenant in 2011, and reported an annual salary of about $88,000 in 2014.

In April 2012, Rice was “given an administrative suspension after being hospitalised for a mental health evaluation” when he threatened to shoot himself, and he was disciplined by the department when a temporary restraining order was filed against him by his ex-girlfriend’s husband, according to a report from The Guardian.

Andrew McAleer, the husband of Karyn McAleer, who is Rice’s ex-girlfriend and the mother of his young son, was granted a restraining order against Rice in Jan. 2013. To obtain the order, Andrew McAleer, who is a firefighter in Baltimore, filed a 10-page complaint citing a “pattern of intimidation and violence.”

The full document was first published by The Guardian, and in it, McAleer claims that he is filing an order against Rice for threats of violence, harassment, stalking, and trespassing.

[pull_quote_center]”Within the last 30 days, an event occurred initiated by Brian Rice that has caused me to have constant fear for my personal safety from Brian Rice,” wrote McAleer. “The January 19, 2013, incident and a pattern of harassment, stalking, trespassing, and serious threat of bodily harm by Brian Rice with a concealed Glock handgun that he is authorized to carry by Baltimore City Police Department are detailed in the plea for protection.”[/pull_quote_center]

McAleer described the incident on Jan. 19, 2013, as a final straw, after Rice’s patterns of harassment began in March 2012. He said that his wife, who is also a Baltimore police officer, was at work, and he was “conducting personal errands” while their children were home alone. McAleer said that when he returned home, he stepped out of his car and Rice’s Hyundai Sonata immediately pulled into the driveway.

According to McAleer’s complaint, the fact that Rice pulled up right after McAleer did, made McAleer fear that Rice was stalking him. McAleer said Rice got out of his car, started waving his arms and yelling something unintelligible, and then got back in his car and began to rev his engine, flash his headlights, and inch his car towards McAleer, before pulling out of the driveway.

The Guardian reported that Rice was suspended and his weapons, including his personal 9mm handgun, two rifles and two shotguns, were initially confiscated in April 2012, after an emergency call was made reporting that he had threatened to shoot himself, and that he was put on administrative suspension once again, with his guns confiscated, after McAleer was granted a week-long peace order.

Government Accountability, Police State, US

Attorney for Officer in Freddie Gray Case “Wants To See Knife”, So Does Gray Family Attorney

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Washington D.C.- An attorney for one of six Baltimore police officers charged in connection with the death of Freddie Gray has requested in court permission to examine a knife that police say they found on Gray after they pursued him April 12.

In court papers, police who arrested Gray stated that he was found with a “spring-loaded switchblade” in his right-front pants pocket.  Under Maryland law, that switchblade is illegal. Officers say they found the knife after Gray made eye contact with one of the officers and began running.  Officers chased him down and while taking him into custody say they found the knife.

When State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced the charges against all six of the officers involved in Gray’s arrest, she stated that the knife found on Gray was not a switchblade and that it was in fact, a legal knife.   She described the arrest as illegal.

The officer’s defense attorney, Marc L. Zayon, says in the filing in state District Court that he thinks the knife “was not lawful” and that a charge placed against Gray was appropriate.

Meanwhile, the attorney for the Gray family, Jason Downs has also requested to see the knife in question.  In an interview with Ben Swann, Downs says that the family has a number of questions about the knife, if Gray even had it on him and what kind of knife it was.  Downs says that his team has not been allowed to even see the evidence of the knife’s existence.

Civil Liberties, Featured, Government Accountability, Police Accountability, Police State, Politics, US

Baltimore Mayor Asks DOJ To Investigate City’s Police Force

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At a press conference on Wednesday, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced that she has asked the Department of Justice to investigate the city’s police force for the practices of excessive use of force and civil rights violations.

Rawlings-Blake said that she sees this investigation as an “essential” part of the process to “reform serious patterns and practices of excessive force, biased policing, and other unconstitutional practices by law enforcement.”

[pull_quote_center]”Throughout my administration, we have taken a number of steps to change the culture and practices of the Baltimore Police Department,” Rawlings-Blake said. “Despite this progress, we all know that Baltimore continues to have a fractured relationship between the police and the community.”[/pull_quote_center]

This investigation will be in addition to the current investigation the FBI and DOJ are conducting, regarding civil rights violations in the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who died from a severe spinal injury, while in police custody.

Gray’s unexplained death on April 19 was followed by days of peaceful protests, before riots broke out on April 27 prompting Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to declare a state of emergency, call in the National Guard, and enforce a 10 p.m. curfew.

The curfew was lifted on Sunday, following Baltimore State’s attorney Marilyn Mosby’s announcement on Friday that Gray’s death has been ruled a homicide, and that six officers will face charges.

Rawlings-Blake also said that officers in the Baltimore City Police Department will have body cameras by the end of the year.

“I believe we need the assistance of the Department of Justice and civil rights investigation to shore up that foundation that is weak in our city,” Rawlings-Blake said. “At the end of this process, I will hold those accountable, if change is not made.”

Rawlings-Blake’s announcement comes after a meeting with Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who visited the city of Baltimore on Tuesday.

The Associated Press noted that Lynch pledged to improve the city’s police department after meeting with Freddie Gray’s family.

“This is a flashpoint situation,” Lynch said. “We lost a young man’s life and it begins to represent so many things.“

Civil Liberties, Featured, Government Accountability, Police Accountability, Police State, Politics, US

Baltimore Rioter Faces Higher Bail Than Cops Charged in Freddie Gray’s Death

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Allen Bullock, an 18-year-old who turned himself in to the Baltimore police after he smashed the window of a police car with a traffic cone during a riot that followed the death of Freddie Gray, now faces a higher bail than the six police officers who were charged in Gray’s death.

https://twitter.com/WesleyLowery/status/594253480346460160

The Guardian reported that Bullock was charged with “eight criminal counts, including rioting and malicious destruction of property,” after he turned himself in to the police, after being convinced by his parents that it was better to turn himself in, than to wait for the police to come find him.

“By turning himself in he also let me know he was growing as a man and he recognized what he did was wrong,” said Maurice Hawkins, Bullock’s step-father. “But they are making an example of him and it is not right.”

Bobbi Smallwood, Bullock’s mother, told The Guardian that she just wanted Bullock to do the right thing, and that while she does think he needs to be punished, she thinks the sum of half a million dollars is an excessive amount. “It is just so much money,” Smallwood said. “Who could afford to pay that?”

As previously reported, Baltimore State’s attorney Marilyn Mosby announced on Friday that Gray’s death has been ruled a homicide, and that six officers will face charges, including Officer William G. Porter, Lieutenant Brian W. Rice, Officer Edward M. Nero, Officer Garrett E. Miller, Sergeant Alicia D. White and Officer Caesar R. Goodson, Jr.

While Goodson faces the most severe charges, including misconduct in office, manslaughter by vehicle (criminal negligence), manslaughter by vehicle (gross negligence), involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault and second-degree depraved-heart murder, his bail was set for $350,000, according to Vox. Goodson was the officer who drove the police van, and if convicted of second-degree murder, he could face up to 30 years in prison.

The Associated Press reported that all six officers charged in Gray’s death were released on Friday on bonds ranging from $250,000 to $350,000.

An Indiegogo campaign was started in honor of helping Bullock’s family raise the money to pay his bail. It describes Bullock’s actions by saying that he was “so angry at the lack of information that he broke the windows of a police cruiser,” and that after owning up to his actions, he turned himself into the local authorities. However, the page claims that the police “set at an astronomically high” bail at $500,000 as a way to “make an example” out of Bullock.

On Monday, the campaign for Bullock had raised $5,825 in 4 days, from 269 contributors, which is approximately one percent of the $500,000 goal. The campaign has 27 days left.

Civil Liberties, Government Accountability, Police Accountability, Police State, Politics, US

BREAKING: Six Officers to Face Criminal Charges over Death of Freddie Gray

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As Baltimore wrestles with civil unrest following the controversial April 19 death of Freddie Gray due to a severe spinal cord injury while in police custody, newly-elected Baltimore state’s attorney Marilyn Mosby announced today that Gray’s death has been ruled a homicide and that all six officers involved in his arrest will face criminal charges. MSNBC notes that Mosby pointed out the fact that Gray’s arrest was illegal, as officers arrested him for possession of a switchblade despite the fact that a knife found on Gray during his arrest was not a switchblade and is legal to carry. “No crime was committed by Freddie Gray,” said Mosby.

The six Baltimore Police Department officers facing charges in Gray’s death include Officer William G. Porter, Lieutenant Brian W. Rice, Officer Edward M. Nero, Officer Garrett E. Miller, Sergeant Alicia D. White, and, lastly, Officer Caesar R. Goodson, Jr., who faces the most serious charge — second-degree depraved heart murder, carrying a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. The Department of Justice has also launched a probe into the circumstances surrounding the Freddie Gray homicide.

MSNBC reporter Trymaine Lee tweeted the full list of charges facing the six officers, which can be seen in the embedded images below.

According to The Huffington Post, Mosby said that an investigation by her office and the Baltimore Police Department found that the officers failed to secure Gray in a seat belt as he rode in a police van and that, despite the fact that Gray requested medical attention and said repeatedly that he could not breathe, officers refused to provide it. She said that the arresting officers demonstrated “willful negligence” by stopping to pick up a second suspect rather than providing medical attention for Gray.

“Accountability… you’re getting it today,” said Mosby.

Civil Liberties, Government Accountability, Police Accountability, Police State, US

Breaking: Officers With Freddie Gray Made “Fourth, Undisclosed” Stop

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Baltimore, MD- On Thursday, the Baltimore Police Department handed over their investigation into the arrest and death of Freddie Gray to the State’s Attorney, Marilyn Mosby. The report was handed over a day earlier than expected. Mosby, who has been on the job for 100 days, will face a critical decision of whether or not to pursue criminal charges against any of the six Baltimore police officers involved in the arrest of Gray on April 19th, 2015.

Meanwhile, Baltimore Police also released information today that they have learned of a fourth stop made while Gray was in custody that was previously unknown. Last week, authorities had said there were three stops: the first to put leg irons on Gray, the second “to deal with Mr. Gray” (an incident, he said, that remained under investigation) and the third to pick up a prisoner in an unrelated matter.

According to investigators, they learned of this fourth stop from a privately owned surveillance camera. There is no word yet on what that video of the fourth stop shows.

The first comes from a relative of one of the officers involved in the arrest. She told CNN the officer thinks Gray was injured while he was being arrested — before he was put inside a police van.

The second is an account from a prisoner who was in the same police van, as published in The Washington Post. The prisoner reportedly told investigators he thought Gray “was intentionally trying to injure himself.”

Activism, Civil Liberties, Police Accountability, US

NYC to Boston, Thousands Protest Across the Country in Solidarity with Baltimore

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Washington D.C.- Thousands of protesters took to the streets of New York City, Boston, Minneapolis, Washington D.C. and of course in Baltimore, Wednesday evening. Those coming out rallied in solidarity with the people of Baltimore and the family of Freddie Gray.

Ben Swann talks with Marina Portnaya live from the scene and gives updates on the arrests made by the NYPD as protestors stood in the streets in an act of civil disobedience.

One officer was injured during the demonstrations in New York City when a bottle struck him on the chin, the police said. In all, just over 100 people were arrested.

Some protesters stopped traffic on Houston Street in Lower Manhattan while others blocked the entrance to the Holland Tunnel. Another group marched uptown to Times Square and Hell’s Kitchen, where, later in the night, a police van filled with marchers who had been arrested sat idling in traffic.

On Thursday, some of the protest organizers criticized Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner William J. Bratton for what they called a heavy-handed response.

In Boston, hundreds marched through the streets chanting, “Being black is not a crime, same story every time,” and “every night and every day. Join the fight for Freddie Gray!” Students linked arms, and families peered curiously out of low income housing along Shawmut Avenue.

Government Accountability, Police Accountability, US

“You’re Making A Fool of Yourself!” Geraldo Battles Protesters Who Want Fox Out of Baltimore

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Baltimore, MD- Fox News’ Geraldo Rivera arrived in Baltimore just before the Tuesday night curfew went into effect, and shortly after he went live Geraldo was surrounded by protesters demanding that he leave.

Geraldo was attempting to interview Maryland state Sen. Catherine Pugh (D). He quickly found himself in the middle of a group of protesters who were angry about Fox News’ recent coverage.

“Stop it!” Rivera continued to yell at the protester. “You’re making a fool of yourself!”

“We don’t need your false coverage!” he said back.

Speaking to the senator, Rivera referred to the protesters as “vandals.” He went on to say that “…they look like they want trouble.”

Police State, Politics, US

Report: 2 People Shot After Demonstration Breaks Out In Ferguson

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KMOV.com

Ferguson, Mo. – According to reports, two people were shot late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning during a demonstration that broke out in Ferguson, around the area where Michael Brown was shot and killed by then-police officer Darren Wilson on August 9, 2014.

KMOV, the CBS affiliate in St. Louis, reported that a man was shot in the leg Tuesday night, near the intersection of West Florissant Avenue and Canfield Drive. The man then ran to a nearby Chinese restaurant for help. According to reports, a second person was shot in the neck around 12:20 a.m. Wednesday on Canfield Drive, and was then taken to the hospital.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the man who was shot in the leg was among a group of about 50 protesters demonstrating on West Florissant near Canfield, and that while it was “unclear if the shooting was related to the protest,” police took a suspect into custody and recovered a gun.

KMOV reported that two suspects were arrested, and that in addition to other shots fired throughout the night, a Mobil on West Florissant was looted around 1:40 a.m. Wednesday, for the third time since August 2014, and five suspects connected to the looting were arrested.

The Post-Dispatch reported that protestors initially gathered on Tuesday night, chanting things such as “No justice, no peace” and “Hey, hey, ho, ho. These killer cops have got to go,” while police officers patrolling the scene told protesters they were “unlawfully assembled” and that arrests would be made and “chemical munitions” used against them, if they did not leave.

St. Louis Alderman Antonio French reported via his Twitter account that police were arriving in riot gear, and that demonstrators were throwing rocks at the SWAT vehicles as they arrived to the scene.

(The following video contains graphic language)

The Post-Dispatch reported that witnesses said they heard 15 gunshots around 11:50 p.m., and that although several of the protestors retreated after the gunfire, there was still a small crowd present around 1 a.m.

The demonstration in Ferguson comes at a time when protests are also breaking out in Baltimore, Md., following the unexplained death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who died on April 19 from a severe spinal injury, while in custody of the Baltimore police.

After days of peaceful protests, riots broke out on Monday, and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and called in the National Guard.

The scene of demonstrators throwing rocks and other objects at police in Ferguson is reminiscent of the scene in Baltimore, where dozens of minors were seen throwing rocks at Baltimore SWAT officers on Monday, and at times, the officers were seen picking up the rocks and throwing them back.

 

Activism, US, Videos

Influx Of Volunteers Organize To Clean Up Streets Of Baltimore

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Baltimore, MD- In response to the chaos and destruction that has taken place during the riots in Baltimore, thousands of volunteers have pledged to help clean up the community through several Facebook events that have been initiated.

A “Baltimore clean-up effort” event has more than two thousand people offering to help, while a similar event in West Baltimore has marked over 700 volunteers. A “Clean up Baltimore!” event is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

Local news stations took note of the volunteer cleanup efforts in the city; some of the volunteers set to work early Tuesday morning. “I thought it was my civic duty to come out to restore my neighborhood, to clean up,” resident Myra Keane told CBS Baltimore. “I seen a young man on TV out here by himself cleaning, so I brought out my O’Cedar and I found a trash can while I was walking up the street and I just started picking up trash.”

Activism, Featured, Police Accountability, Police State, US, Videos

The Powerful Baltimore Protest on Monday That Media Ignored

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Baltimore, MD- It is the scene that most media is ignoring. While the wall-to-wall focus of national media on Baltimore is on the rioting and violent imagery, most media ignored the growing crowds calling for an end to the violence and demanding that young people stop burning buildings and looting stores. Over 100 clergy marched through the streets of Baltimore last night in an effort to end the violence, and they did it without riot shields and military vehicles.

As over 5,000 law enforcement officials are converging on Baltimore as well as another 5,000 National Guard troops, the nation continues to watch the city that exploded with violent riots on Monday. Images of a CVS looted and burning, buildings set ablaze, juveniles in the streets who have thrown rocks at police. These are the images that most of the nation will associate with Baltimore, and yet most media has all but ignored more than a week of peaceful protests demanding answers into the death of Freddie Gray.

The question that must be answered: how did Freddie Gray’s spinal cord become severed while in police custody? I had the chance to interview the attorney for the Gray family as the riots in Baltimore took place. Jason Downs points out the family of Gray has specifically called for no violence in the wake of Freddie’s death, and also points out that while media will turn their head to watch the violence, the Gray family continues to wait for answers.

Featured, Police State, US

Breaking: State Of Emergency Declared In Maryland, National Guard Activated

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Baltimore, MD- CBS Baltimore reports that Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has declared a state of emergency and placed the National Guard on alert in response to the violence and turmoil in Baltimore:

“Today’s looting and acts of violence in Baltimore will not be tolerated,” Hogan said in a statement. “In response, I have put the Maryland National Guard on alert so they can be in position to deploy rapidly as needed. I strongly condemn the actions of the offenders who are engaged in direct attacks against innocent civilians, businesses and law enforcement officers. There is a significant difference between protesting and violence and those committing these acts will be prosecuted under the fullest extent of the law.”

According to Philadelphia’s Action News 6, several police officers have been injured as a result of rioters in the city.

A live feed from Baltimore is ongoing and available to watch here.

 

Police Accountability, Police State, Politics, US, Videos

VIDEO: Baltimore Police Throw Rocks Back at Protesters after Being Bombarded With Rocks and Bricks

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Baltimore, MD- More than 1,000 police officers have been called into Baltimore to help contain the growing violent protests over the death of Freddie Gray. The Governor of Maryland has also activated the National Guard after protests today turned into a riot.

As of Monday evening at least 8 officers have been injured after a group of youth protesters began throwing bottles, rocks, bricks and other debris at police. The officers, most of whom were wearing riot gear including helmets and holding shields began closing off intersections around 3:00 pm.

In the video above you can see dozens of young people throwing rocks at police and at times, Baltimore SWAT Officers throwing rocks and bricks back at those youth.

The “purge” as it was called on a flyer was called for on Saturday. On the flyer, which was distributed to high school students called for the “purge” to begin around 3:00 pm EDT at a Baltimore mall and included a picture of protesters smashing the windshield of a police cruiser.

Armored vehicles were brought in to also help contain Monday’s rioting which included the burning of two police cruisers and the looting over several stores including a CVS.

 

You can watch a live feed by clicking here.

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“Police Given Weeks To Get Story Straight on What Happened to Freddie Gray”

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Baltimore, MD- Ben Swann reports from the scene of the Baltimore protests following Freddie Gray’s mysterious death after being placed in police custody. Swann interviews the Gray family lawyer who says that the six police officer’s involved in Gray’s death have been given weeks to get their story straight while the family is still waiting for answers to basic questions.

Swann also talks with Reverend R. Owens, a minister who is counseling the family, in an attempt to unravel the events going on in the city.

In addition, Swann reveals new information on one of the six officers who made the arrest of Gray, including information that the lieutenant who chased Gray, twice had accusations of domestic violence made against him by two different women.

RT reporters Anya Parampil reports live from the protests and captures the mood of the demonstrators and Manuel Rapalo delivers the latest information on the timeline leading up to and after Gray’s death.

Activism, Government Accountability, Police Accountability, Police State, US, Videos

Ben Swann To Broadcast Live In Baltimore At 4PM

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Ben Swann will be broadcasting live from Baltimore, MD on April 22nd at 4p.m., 5p.m., and 8p.m. Eastern. Swann will be covering the protests and demonstrations that are a result of the unexplained death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray.

The Baltimore Police Department has recently fallen under intense scrutiny following news that Gray had been severely injured after he was arrested on April 12. Gray suffered from a spinal cord injury and died last Sunday from “a very tragic injury to his spinal cord.” Gray’s autopsy report has not been released.

According to police documents, Gray “fled unprovoked upon noticing police presence” and was arrested “without force or incident.” Gray was reportedly found carrying a switchblade when captured. The report mentions that Gray “suffered a medical emergency” during transport.

“When he was placed inside that van, he was able to talk, he was upset,” said Deputy Police Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez. “And when Mr. Gray was taken out of the van, he could not talk, he could not breathe.”

A cell phone video was released showing a police transport van stopping near the initial arrest site. Police said Gray became “irate” during transport, so the van was stopped and he was placed in leg cuffs.

Six police officers involved with Gray’s arrest have been suspended with pay: Lt. Brian Rice, Officer Garrett Miller, Sgt. Alicia White, Officer William Porter, Officer Edward Nero and Officer Caesar Goodson. There are three ongoing investigations being conducted by the local prosecutor’s office, the Baltimore Police and the federal government.