Three of the six police officers charged in the Freddie Gray case could be fired pending an internal investigation, according to the Baltimore State’s Attorney Office.
Officer Caesar Goodson, who was driving the van when Grey was fatally injured, Lt. Brian Rice, and Sergeant Alicia White could be fired for their roles in the Gray case.
Top row from left: Caesar R. Goodson Jr., Garrett E. Miller and Edward M. Nero, and bottom row from left: William G. Porter, Brian W. Rice and Alicia D. White, the six police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray. Each officer was either acquitted or had the charges against them dropped before going to trial. (Baltimore Police Department via AP)
Multiple Baltimore City police officers are facing internal discipline, according to the State’s Attorney Office.
Officers Edward Nero and Garett Miller both face 5 days suspension without pay; both officers were arrested in the initial investigation but Nero was acquitted of all charges and charges against Miller were dropped before he went to trial.
William Porter, another officer arrested and charged with manslaughter in Gray’s death, will not face any internal discipline.
Gray was arrested on April 12, 2015 and died April 19, a week later, after falling into a coma. Autopsy reports determined Gray suffered a spinal cord injury and his death was ruled a homicide. Following his death Baltimore erupted in riots which the city has yet to recover from.
On May 1, 2015 State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced charges against the 6 officers in Grays death ranging from manslaughter to depraved Heart Murder.
Each officer was either acquitted or charges were dropped.
“Justice is always worth the price paid for its pursuit. This case has always been about providing justice for an innocent 25-year-old man who was unreasonably taken into police custody, severely injured while in police custody, and died due to a lack of care. If today’s news is accurate, I am relieved to know that a majority of those involved will be held administratively accountable for their actions. And, while nothing can bring back Freddie Carlos Gray, Jr., I pray that today’s announcement brings some closure to his loved ones, the City of Baltimore, and the dedicated members of the Baltimore Police Department,” said Mosby in a statement released to the media Monday afternoon.
The decision to charge the three officers comes after the internal investigation was reviewed by Howard and Montgomery County Police Departments.
Baltimore City Police asked Howard and Montgomery police to review the case so there wouldn’t be any conflict of interest. Those investigations have yet to be released publically.
The officers can accept the charges or take the charges to a trial board, a panel made up of officers, to dispute. The panel can either acquit or uphold charges.
If the charges stand, Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis has the final say in what happens.
T.J. Smith, spokesman for Baltimore City Police, declined to comment Monday saying that the department is “unable to discuss personnel matters.”
Each officer was notified of the charges against them on May 19.
On May 23, the Fraternal Order of Police released a statement regarding the charges against the officers.
FOP President Gene Ryan said that the “administrative charges are nothing more than that-they are charges.”
“We have no reason to believe that the results of a fair trial board will be any different than the result of all 27 of the criminal counts which uniformly rejected any wrongdoing on the part of the officers,” Ryan said.
Ryan went on to say that the “citizens of Baltimore should be outraged at their leaders, and find issues with the administrative prosecution.”
“The administrative prosecution of the officers will do nothing more than perpetuate a police force hesitant to exercise judgment when interacting with the public.”