Security Tightened at Baltimore Courthouse ahead of Verdict
- By Sydny Shepard
- May 23, 2016
Baltimore’s Mitchell Courthouse will see necessary upgrades in security during the trial of Feddie Gray, a man who died in police custody due to injured to his spinal cord in 2015. On May 23, the verdict in the trail of Officer Edward Nero will be read.
Police officials say that security in and around the courthouse will be stepped up in anticipation of the verdict. They expect protesters outside the courthouse and are putting plans in place to ensure those protests stay peaceful.
Baltimore police understand the implications of the trial more than anyone else, after witnessing the riots that broke out around Baltimore after the death of Gray.
“We’re not stopping everything because of the verdict being rendered, but of course, we are well aware of implications,” T.J. Smith of the Baltimore Police Department told CBS Baltimore.
Police will have additional resources on hand that can be brought in to assist if needed. Officers from other jurisdictions are also on standby, and the sheriff’s department is expected to step up patrols as the verdict comes down.
Barricades have remained up around the courthouse since the start of the first trial in the Freddie Gray case. The trail of Officer William Porter ended in a hung jury.
In December of 2015, when the Porter trial ended with a mistrial, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake gave a statement explaining that the people of Baltimore need to “respect the judicial process.”
Baltimore police are ready, no matter what the verdict is.
About the Author
Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.