Baltimore Police React to Mistrial in Freddie Gray’s Case

Baltimore Police React to Mistrial in Freddie Gray's Case

In mid-December, the trial of Baltimore Police Officer William G. Porter concluded in a hung jury. The 12-person jury could not agree in its deliberations, and the judge declared a mistrial. Porter had been charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in the office following the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray in police custody back in April of 2015.

The Baltimore police department responded shortly after the mistrial was announced, stating that it has respect for the criminal justice process. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake joined Police Commissioner Kevin Davis with a united message. They asked residents to respect the outcome of the judicial process and while they respect the right for a group of people to join in protest, they hoped it would be peaceful.

Baltimore PD prepared for the verdict of this case at least a week in advance, cancelling all leave for the week the verdict was to be read, ensuring there would be plenty of officers on duty if there was any fallout. According to a report, all sworn personnel would be assigned to 12-hour shifts throughout the week.

The preparation made sense, as large riots broke out around the city in April following Gray’s death. Fires, looting and other violence at that time prompted the Baltimore mayor to impose a curfew for several days and the Maryland governor to declare a state of emergency. They also deployed the National Guard.

Because of the past events, Commissioner Davis urged protestors to stay calm and protest in a peaceful way. He stressed that the police department would protect the right of Americans who want to peacefully demonstrate, while being clear that demonstrators who became violent toward people or property “lose the ability” to call themselves protestors.

“We respect the right of Americans to protest,” Commissioner Davis said.  “Protestors who are lawfully assembled have a friend in the Baltimore Police Department. We are here to serve as peacekeepers. We respect the right to protest, we respect the protestors ... We will do everything we can to afford them the ability to protest in this city.”

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Security Risks for U.S. Retail Chains

    Interface Systems, a provider of security, actionable insights, and purpose-built networks for multi-location businesses, has released its 2024 State of Remote Video Monitoring in Retail Chains report. The detailed study analyzed over 2 million monitoring requests across 4,156 retail locations in the United States from September 2023 to August 2024. Read Now

  • Gaining a Competitive Edge

    Ask most companies about their future technology plans and the answers will most likely include AI. Then ask how they plan to deploy it, and that is where the responses may start to vary. Every company has unique surveillance requirements that are based on market focus, scale, scope, risk tolerance, geographic area and, of course, budget. Those factors all play a role in deciding how to configure a surveillance system, and how to effectively implement technologies like AI. Read Now

  • 6 Ways Security Awareness Training Empowers Human Risk Management

    Organizations are realizing that their greatest vulnerability often comes from within – their own people. Human error remains a significant factor in cybersecurity breaches, making it imperative for organizations to address human risk effectively. As a result, security awareness training (SAT) has emerged as a cornerstone in this endeavor because it offers a multifaceted approach to managing human risk. Read Now

  • The Stage is Set

    The security industry spans the entire globe, with manufacturers, developers and suppliers on every continent (well, almost—sorry, Antarctica). That means when regulations pop up in one area, they often have a ripple effect that impacts the entire supply chain. Recent data privacy regulations like GDPR in Europe and CPRA in California made waves when they first went into effect, forcing businesses to change the way they approach data collection and storage to continue operating in those markets. Even highly specific regulations like the U.S.’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) can have international reverberations – and this growing volume of legislation has continued to affect global supply chains in a variety of different ways. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions. 3

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area. 3

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises. 3