The Rev. Al Sharpton speaks during a service at Charity Missionary Baptist Church in the wake of the death of Walter Scott, the black driver who was fatally shot by a white police officer after he fled a traffic stop, Sunday, April 12, 2015, in North Charleston, S.C. The officer, Michael Thomas Slager, has been fired and charged with murder. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Nationally recognized civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton is heading to Baltimore this week in light of ongoing, increasingly violent protests over the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody.
“I have been asked by many in the Baltimore area since day one to get involved in the justice for Freddie Gray movement,” said the National Action Network leader in a statement.
Sharpton said though he has discussed the matter on his daily radio and television shows and has kept in touch with the Baltimore NAN chapter, he “resisted personal involvement” until the Baltimore Police Department released its investigation report on May 1 as promised.
However, Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts on April 24 said the department would not meet its May 1 deadline for providing answers in the death of Gray, a West Baltimore man who died on April 19, one week after suffering three broken vertebrae in his neck and a crushed voice box while in police custody on April 12.
Sharpton said though he is disappointed, he would come to Baltimore anyway.
“It is concerning to me that a deadline that the police themselves had set and announced they have now conveniently changed,” he said. “Therefore, I will come to Baltimore this week at the invitation of Rev. Westley West, who has led vigils daily there, along with local clergy, and morning radio show host Larry Young who has headed our Baltimore chapter of NAN for the last decade.”
Sharpton said he plans to meet with grassroots activists and faith leaders to schedule a two-day march from Baltimore to Washington in the coming weeks.
“The march will bring the case of Freddie Gray, Eric Garner, Walter Scott Eric Harris to the new Attorney General, Loretta Lynch,” Sharpton said. “Ms. Lynch, in her new role that we all supported, must look and intervene in these cases. Justice delayed is justice denied.”