Freddie Gray Protest in Baltimore Turns Violent, Dozen Arrested

Gray, 25, was arrested in Baltimore on April 12 and placed in the back of a police van. Upon arrival at the police station it was discovered he was suffering from a severe spinal injury, of which he died a week later.

Local authorities have yet to explain how Gray’s spine was injured.

Twelve people were arrested as a group of protesters clashed with police, according to CNN. At least five police cars were damaged, and several local stores were attacked by angry demonstrators.

Two people reportedly sustained injuries in the clashes.

Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said on Twitter she was “concerned about the violence and those who want to destroy our city,” calling for peaceful protests alongside Gray’s twin sister Fredricka.

The United States has seen a string of major rallies against police brutality and racial profiling over the past year, triggered by numerous police killings of young African-Americans.

According to the Killed By Police monitoring website, Gray was the 348th person killed by US police or who died while in police custody since the beginning of 2015.