Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


            Baltimore Police Officer Acquitted in Freddie Gray Case

   by VOA News

   A Baltimore police officer was found not guilty on charges related to
   the death of Freddie Gray, a young African-American man who died last
   year after suffering severe injuries in the back of a police van.

   Officer Edward Nero faced charges of second-degree assault, reckless
   endangerment and misconduct in office.

   He was acquitted Monday of the charges following a bench trial, which
   he had requested.  Nero faced up to 10 years in prison if he had been
   convicted.

   Prosecutors say the 30-year-old officer unlawfully arrested Gray, 25,
   on April 12, 2015 without probable cause and failed to secure him in
   the police van with a seatbelt.

   Attorneys for Nero argued he did not make the arrest and that it was
   the driver's responsibility to ensure that Gray was secure.

   Gray was handcuffed and shackled by his feet, but not buckled in to the
   seat after being arrested.  It has been alleged this caused his body to
   slam against the side of the van, severing his spinal cord and leaving
   him in a coma.

   Gray died on April 19, 2015.  His death led to riots in black
   neighborhoods in Baltimore with protesters marching against police
   treatment of young African-Americans.

   The city agreed in September to pay Gray's family $6.4 million to
   settle civil litigation in the case.

   Five other officers are facing charges. Three of them are black.  The
   other two are white.  Nero is white.

   Nero was the second officer to go to trial in the case.  Officer
   William Porter, who is black, awaits a second trial after his first
   ended in a hung jury in December.

   The van's driver, Officer Caesar Goodson, faces the most serious charge
   of second-degree depraved-heart murder for refusing to take Gray to the
   hospital and instead stopping to pick up another prisoner.  Goodson is
   also black.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/officer-aquitted-in-freddy-gray-case/
   3342204.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/officer-aquitted-in-freddy-gray-case/3342204.html