Tensions have been mounting in Baltimore after the death of a 25-year-old male who died in police custody.
On April 12, Freddie Gray was arrested on the street on the charge of carrying a switchblade, an offense punishable by one year in prison and a $500 fine. Police say he had been arrested “without force or incident,” but Gray suffered a medical injury on his way to the station in a police van.
Deputy Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez says that when Gray was arrested, “he could talk, he was upset,” but “when he was taken out of that van, he could not talk and he could not breathe.”
The arresting officers stopped the van at one point to place Gray in leg irons after he had become irate. They had also picked up another prisoner in an unrelated case, according to a report from the Baltimore Police Department.
Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said that Gray requested his inhaler and medical attention several times while in the van. Research shows that anywhere from 44,000 to 98,000 Americans die in hospitals each year due to preventable medical errors, but it’s unclear how many incidents involve individuals in police custody.
Gray died upon arrival at the hospital, and due to a lack of video evidence, it’s unclear what exactly happened. A civilian took video footage of Gray’s arrest, but it’s unclear what happened once he was in custody in the van.
Yet his autopsy sheds some light on the situation. The coroner’s report found that Gray suffered “a significant spinal injury that led to his death.”
Billy Murphy, the Gray family’s personal injury lawyer, said that Gray’s “spine was 80% severed at his neck.“
Batts released a statement in an attempt to calm the city’s unrest, asking for patience with the department’s ongoing investigation. Protesters marched through the city on Sunday demanding justice.
The incident is just one of many in recent months involving a black man allegedly killed by white officers in the United States.
Meanwhile, the six arresting officers in the incident have all been suspended.