The Department of Justice is dropping all charges against the Baltimore police officers involved in the death of Freddie Gray. Officials from the Department of Justice stated, “the evidence is insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt” that the officers were involved in the tragic death of the 25 year old Baltimore native
For those who may forget the case of Freddie Gray, police accused Gray of running away from police officers in an unprovoked incident in West Baltimore and was in possession of an illegal knife when he was arrested. He was then placed into the back of a police transport van, handcuffed and shackled, but not buckled in by a seatbelt. According to the prosecutors in Gray’s death, he died suffering a spinal cord injury while being transported to the police station. His death sparked riots that occurred all throughout the Baltimore area and created national media coverage
The state of the Maryland previously filed criminal charges against the six Baltimore officers in the case, but were unable to secure a single conviction against the officers. In 2015 The U.s. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced that the Justice Department would conducting an investigation on the same day as Freddie Gray’s funeral. Two years later, the US Department investigators have concluded that no charges against the officers are warranted.
So why were the charges against the officers dropped according the DOJ? Apparently the agency did not believe that transportation of Freddie Gray was too rough while he was injured in the back of the van. The agency believes that there was not enough sufficient evidence to show that the officers knew that he was injured in the back of the van. Also, there was not enough evidence to show that the officers driving the van were driving it recklessly, causing the death of Freddie Gray.
Despite no charges being filed by the DOJ, the tragedy that surrounded Baltimore will be remembered, and has been an integral spark of movements such as Black Lives Matter. If you find yourself in a criminal investigation or know someone who has, please don’t hesitate to contact the Law Offices of Nicholas J. Del Pizzo today.