A Baltimore officer was acquitted Monday of assault and other charges in the arrest of Freddie Gray, dealing prosecutors a significant blow in their attempt to hold police accountable for the young black man's death from injuries he suffered in the back of a police van.
Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams also found Edward Nero, 30, not guilty of reckless endangerment and misconduct in office. As the verdict was read, Nero dropped his head down and his attorney placed a hand on his back. The courtroom was quiet. Nero stood up and hugged his attorney, and was visibly emotional.
Protesters chased Nero as he left the courthouse, yelling "guilty" and "murderer," said CBC's Meagan Fitzpatrick, reporting from the scene.
"He was being escorted by a Baltimore sheriff and the crowd of protesters literally followed him down the street. It was getting rather heated as they followed him into the parking garage," Fitzpatrick said.
The city's police force cancelled all previously scheduled time off for officers, telling them to be on standby in case there is any unrest, she added.
The assault charge carried a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and reckless endangerment carried a punishment of up to five years.
Gray died April 19, 2015, a week after his neck was broken in the back of a police transport van while he was handcuffed and shackled but left unrestrained by a seat belt.
Trial by judge, not jury
Nero was one of six officers charged in the case. He waived his right to a jury trial, opting instead to argue his case before Williams. A jury trial was held for officer William Porter late last year, and the panel could not reach a decision on manslaughter and other charges.
freddie gray
Gray, 25, was arrested on the morning of April 12, 2015, for possessing a switchblade knife outside a housing project on Baltimore's west side. (Family photo/Murphy, Falcon & Murphy)
Gray's death set off more than a week of protests followed by looting, rioting and arson that prompted a citywide curfew. His name became a rallying cry in the growing national conversation about the treatment of black men by police officers.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said in a statement that Nero will still face an administrative review by the police department.
"We once again ask the citizens to be patient and to allow the entire process to come to a conclusion. In the case of any disturbance in the city, we are prepared to respond. We will protect our neighbourhoods, our businesses and the people of our city," she said.
William H. Murphy Jr., lawyer for the Gray family, told Fitzpatrick that the judge analyzed the evidence fairly in the case.
One local state lawmaker, who was in court while the verdict was being read, said the judge presented a "well-reasoned argument."
"The judge in the case was really good at explaining exactly what it was that caused him to find that the state did not meet his burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt to find the officer guilty," Curt Anderson said.
Officer did not use seatbelt in van
Prosecutors said Nero unlawfully detained Gray and acted callously when he made a decision not to buckle Gray into a seat belt when he was loaded into the back of a transport vehicle.