Charges Dropped Against 3 Remaining Officers Involved in Freddie Gray’s Death

By Sameer Rao Jul 27, 2016

With three Baltimore police officers already acquitted for their roles in the arrest, transport and death of Freddie Gray, prosecutors dropped all charges against the remaining three accused officers this morning (July 27).

The Baltimore Sun reports that Officers William Porter and Garrett Miller, as well as Sgt. Alicia White, will not stand trial. All three faced charges for misconduct in office, second-degree assault and reckless endangerment; Porter and White faced additional manslaughter charges. Had they been tried and convicted, they could have been sentenced to 15 to 25 years each.

Chief Deputy State’s Attorney Michael Schatzow told Circuit Judge Barry G. Williams that the state would drop the charges during today’s hearing, which was supposed to kick off Miller’s trial. Porter’s retrial (following a hung jury and mistrial in December) and White’s trial were scheduled for September and October, respectively. Williams previously acquitted Officers Edward Nero and Caesar Goodson, as well as Lt. Brian Rice, via bench trials earlier this year. 

"There was a reluctance and obvious bias that was consistently exemplified…by individuals within the Baltimore Police Department," Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby said during a press conference held today near the site of Gray’s arrest. According to ThinkProgress, Mosby said that police did not properly cooperate with prosecutors during the trial. "This system is in need of reform when it comes to police accountability," she added. Speaking on why she dropped charges, Mosby said, "We could try this case 100 times and cases like it, and we would end up with the same result."

Gray’s father also spoke at the press conference. "We are very proud of the prosecutors who handled the case and did the best to their ability," he said.

Gray’s death—from spinal injuries sustained in police custody—sparked massive local and national protests against police misconduct and violence in Black communities.