Another police officer is acquitted in Freddie Gray's death
Another Baltimore police officer has been acquitted in the death of Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old man who died of a spinal injury after a ride in a police van.
A Baltimore judge presiding in the bench trial acquitted Lt. Brian Rice of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office, report the Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun.
The judge, Barry Williams, had acquitted two other officers in bench trials. A mistrial was declared in the case of a fourth officer after jurors couldn’t reach a verdict. Two other officers await trial.
Rice was the highest-ranking officer charged in Gray’s death, and his acquittal is “a devastating blow to prosecutors,” according to the Washington Post.
Prosecutors had argued police had a responsibility to put Gray in a seat belt to keep him safe during the van ride, while defense lawyers said Gray had acted belligerently, and it was too unsafe for officers to seat-belt Gray. The defense lawyers also said officers rushed to leave the scene amid a crowd of angry onlookers.
Headline and first paragraph corrected to state another police officer has been acquitted in Freddie Gray’s death.
