Freddie Gray case far from over
BALTIMORE — Many of this city’s deepest challenges remain unresolved after the collapse of the criminal case against six police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray, the young black man whose broken neck in police custody caused so much upheaval. Here’s a look at the to-do lists.
STATE’S ATTORNEY MARILYN MOSBY
The young Baltimore prosecutor who commanded national attention by swiftly filing murder and manslaughter charges against the officers involved in Gray’s arrest was unrepentant as she closed the case without convictions this week.
While even some of her allies called the evidence thin, she accused law enforcement colleagues of thwarting the prosecution, and rhetorically indicted the nation’s criminal justice system as incapable of holding police accountable.
COMMISSIONER KEVIN DAVIS
Stepping in as top cop after Anthony Batts was fired for his handling of the unrest provoked by Gray’s death, Commissioner Kevin Davis pledged to implement significant reforms while remaining loyal to the officers he commands.
Davis overhauled the department’s 2003 policy on use of force to include de-escalation tactics and emphasize “the sanctity of life.” Davis also implemented software insuring that officers get quizzed on their responsibilities, such as buckling prisoners into seatbelts. The prosecutions failed in part because they couldn’t prove the officers even read their department’s rules.
FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
Equally crucial to policing’s future in Baltimore, the union has been steadfast in its support for the officers charged as well as its disdain for Mosby. Union President Gene Ryan has repeatedly accused her of “malicious prosecution.” Pushing back against reforms designed to provide citizens with more oversight, the union also has sued to block a civilian review board from having access to police disciplinary records.
MAYOR STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake abandoned her bid for re-election amid searing criticism following the rioting and unrest, but she was back in the spotlight this week where she got the honor of tallying the votes at the Democratic National Convention.
GRAY’S FAMILY
The city preemptively gave Gray’s family a $6.4 million settlement — more money than all payouts to victims of police abuse in Baltimore in the previous four years combined. During tense moments since then, the family has urged protesters to remain peaceful.