Baltimore mourners pay respects to man who died in custody

BALTIMORE — Mourners filed for hours Sunday past the coffin of the man who died after sustaining serious injuries in the custody of Baltimore police, somberly paying respects after a night of violent protests.

All afternoon, a steady stream of people entered the funeral home for a wake for Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old black man who died a week after an encounter with police left him with grave spinal injuries.

Mourners passed by Mr. Gray’s silk-draped, white coffin where he lay dressed in a white shirt, black pants, white sneakers and an all-white Los Angeles Dodgers baseball cap.

Above the lid to the coffin was a floral arrangement and inside the lid was a pillow with a screenprinted picture of Mr. Gray flanked by doves and the quote “Peace, Y’all” at the bottom edge.

Mourners also gathered outside the funeral home, Vaughn Green East. Some held up signs that read, “We remember Freddie” and “Our hearts are with the Gray family.”

Several mourners like Tina Covington, 46, said they didn’t know the family but came to express their condolences. Ms. Covington said she has a son near Mr. Gray’s age.

“It hits home. It really does. It’s a reality check,” said Ms. Covington, whose son is 27.

She said that “there is something going on in the police department that needs to change.”

Mr. Gray’s funeral is planned for today.

At a church service earlier Sunday, the Rev. Jamal Bryant told churchgoers, including members of Mr. Gray’s family, at Empowerment Temple AME Church that “somebody is going to have to pay” for Mr. Gray’s death.

Rev. Bryant told churchgoers that if “you’re black in America, your life is always under threat.” He also talked about violence that erupted Saturday night during what began as a peaceful demonstration attended by more than a thousand people.

Some 34 people were arrested, according to Baltimore Police Department, and six police officers sustained minor injuries.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake held a news conference Sunday evening and called on protesters to be peaceful.

“At the end of the day, we are one Baltimore. We need to support peaceful demonstration and continue to enforce in our communities that rioting, violence and looting will not be tolerated in our city,” the mayor said. “Together we can be one Baltimore and seek answers as we seek justice and as we seek peace.”

Earlier Sunday, J.M. Giordano, a photo editor at Baltimore’s City Paper, said Baltimore police beat him as he covered one of the protests in west Baltimore. A video posted to the newspaper’s website Sunday shows at least two police officers in riot gear hitting and kicking Mr. Giordano as the person producing the video screams, “He’s a photographer! He’s press!”

Roughly 1,200 protesters gathered at City Hall on Saturday afternoon, officials said, to protest Mr. Gray’s death, which has prompted near-daily demonstrations since he died April 19. Mr. Gray was arrested one week before that, when officers chased him through a west Baltimore neighborhood and dragged him into a police van.

Police acknowledged Friday that Mr. Gray should have received medical attention at the spot where he was arrested — before he was put inside a police transport van handcuffed and without a seat belt, a violation of the Police Department’s policy.

Mr. Gray asked for medical help several times, beginning before he was placed in the van. After a 30-minute ride that included three stops, paramedics were called.