William Porter gets mistrial for Freddie Gray death prompting new protests
A mistrial has been declared in the trial of Officer William Porter for the in-custody death of Freddie Gray. He was the first of six Baltimore, Maryland police officers to be tried in the case, but a hung jury will require a second trial for him.
The courthouse after mistrial pic.twitter.com/bsZ5ZdoPCh
— Shan (@_yoshann) December 16, 2015
Protesters shout, “All night. All day. We’re going to fight for#FreddieGray.” #PorterTrialpic.twitter.com/9yMUEJvC5O
— DeNeen Brown (@DeNeenLBrown) December 16, 2015
Hitting streets now. #FreddieGray#WilliamPorter Trialpic.twitter.com/thpvEO8JH0
— ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) December 16, 2015
Freddie Gray
Porter was not one of the three officers who initially arrested Gray, 25, who ran from police after making eye contact with a bike cop on April 12.
Porter, 26, was along for the 45-minute ride in a police transport van as it made the last five of six stops between Gray’s arrest and arriving at the station.
Porter was accused of not buckling the prisoner into the transport van violating a Baltimore Police Department directive issued weeks earlier and of failing to get medical assistance for Gray during the stops he was present for, despite pleas from the prisoner that he needed help and could not breathe.
Gray suffered a severe spinal-cord injury and died a week after his arrest.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake urged Baltimore residents not to riot after the hung jury was announced.
“As a unified city, we must respect the outcome of the judicial process,” she said in a statement. “In the coming days, if some choose to demonstrate peacefully to express their opinion, that is their constitutional right. I urge everyone to remember that collectively, our reaction needs to be one of respect for our neighborhoods, and for the residents and businesses of our city.”
State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby must now decide whether to continue pursuing charges against Porter.
Parties were leaning in talking to judge over white noise; prosecutor Bledsoe wheeled around with pained smile. Porter w hand on chin
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) December 16, 2015
Porter testified that he was not sure whether Gray was faking his injury.
Activist “justice has not been served” crowd chants outside the court#FreddieGrey#PorterTrial#Baltimorepic.twitter.com/c9cg0XIq3Q
— Paulina Leonovich (@Polly_evro) December 16, 2015
