WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US Department of Justice confirmed in a statement to Sputnik that it would not charge six Baltimore Police officers involved in the arrest and in-custody death of African-American man Freddie Gray.
"After an extensive review of this tragic event, conducted by career prosecutors and investigators, the Justice Department concluded that the evidence is insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Caesar Goodson, Officer William Porter, Officer Garrett Miller, Officer Edward Nero, Lieutenant Brian Rice, or Sergeant Alicia White willfully violated Gray’s civil rights," the statement said on Tuesday.
"The investigation into this incident has been closed without prosecution."
The department noted prosecutors looked into the facts in the case under current criminal statue and considered various scenarios of liability, but concluded that there was not sufficient evidence to prove that the BPD officers broke the law.
The department pledged to prosecute individuals for violating civil rights when the necessary evidence is present, the statement noted.
The 25-year-old African American man was arrested on April 12, 2015 and died one week later after suffering a spinal injury while in police custody.
Gray’s death in police custody from the injury which many believe was caused by a deliberately “rough ride,” led to an enormous uprising throughout the city, leaving the community squaring off with a heavily militarized police force, as well as the National Guard. Gray’s death in Baltimore, along with similar incidents in other US cities, sparked the "Black Lives Matter" movement and a nationwide effort to re-examine police practices.
