Watch full press conference by Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby when she announced charges against six police officers, including one with murder, in the death of Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old African-American man who was arrested and suffered a fatal neck injury while riding in a moving police van.
"To the people of Baltimore and the demonstrators across America," Mosby said, "I heard your call for 'no justice, no peace.'"
Mosby said the officers failed to provide medical attention to Gray even though he asked for help on at least two occasions.
"Mr. Gray suffered a critical neck injury as a result of being handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained inside the BPD wagon," Mosby said.
Caesar Goodson, the officer who was driving the van, is charged with murder and involuntary manslaughter. Three others are also charged with involuntary manslaughter: Sgt. Alicia D. White, Officer William G. Porter and Lt. Brian Rice. All six are facing lesser charges as well, including Officer Edward M. Nero and Officer Garrett E. Miller.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland hailed the decision to charge the officers. "We know that today's announcement is only a first step in a state that has historically prosecuted less than two percent of police-involved deaths, while prosecuting thousands of African-Americans for petty offenses," said Susan Goering, executive director of the ACLU of Maryland. "Our systems of justice have been far more willing to treat officers as innocent until proven guilty than they are the communities who are being policed—communities where people are presumed guilty and stopped, searched, and arrested without cause."