Freddie Gray: US Justice Department launches civil-rights investigation for man who died in custody of Baltimore police
The man’s relatives say his spine was “80 per cent severed” at the neck
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The US Justice Department has starting investigating the death of a man who died while in custody of Baltimore police to see if it needs to bring civil-rights charges, the Associated Press reported.
Freddie Gray, a 27-year-old black man, was arrested on 12 April by Baltimore police and died just days later, after he had fallen into a coma. The Baltimore police department has said it did nothing wrong.
The preliminary autopsy said that Mr Gray died of a spinal injury. His family claims his spine was “80 per cent severed” at the neck.
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has promised a full investigation into the man’s injury and death, but the Justice Department has decided to conduct its own investigation.
“The Department of Justice has been monitoring the developments in Baltimore, regarding the death of Freddie Gray,” spokeswoman Dena Iverson said in a statement. “Based on preliminary information, the Department of Justice has officially opened this matter and is gathering information to determine whether any prosecutable civil rights violation occurred.”
It is not immediately clear why Mr Gray was arrested, but authorities say he ran after noticing police presence.
Police have said that his injuries were sustained while he was being transported by van to the police station and that they are not a result of excessive force by officers.
Follow @PaytonGuion on Twitter.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments