Six Baltimore Police Officers Suspended After Fatal IncidentCourt papers say Freddie Gray suffered a medical emergency while being transported in police van
BALTIMORE—Six Baltimore police officers have been suspended with pay as department officials investigate how a 25-year-old African-American man died from severe spine injuries after being arrested, officials said Monday, releasing new details in a case that has drawn protests in the city.
Freddie Gray requested an inhaler shortly after his April 12 arrest and appeared to have trouble breathing while being transported to a police station in a van, police officials said.
At one point Mr. Gray was put in leg irons after “acting irate” in the police van, officials said. Officers called for medical assistance about 40 minutes after Mr. Gray first requested help, according to a police timeline officials. An ambulance transported Mr. Gray to a hospital where he underwent surgery and later lapsed into a coma and died on Sunday, authorities said.
“I know when Mr. Gray was placed inside that van, he was able to talk,” Deputy Police Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez said at a Monday news conference. “When Mr. Gray was taken out of that van, he could not talk and he could not breathe.”
Officials said they are still trying to determine why Mr. Gray was arrested in a West Baltimore neighborhood known for its drug activity.
Charging documents filed by a police officer and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal state that Mr. Gray “fled unprovoked upon noticing police presence” and was caught after a brief chase.
“The defendant was arrested without force or incident,” the court papers say.
An officer noticed a knife clipped to the inside of Mr. Gray’s pants pocket, the documents state, and Mr. Gray was charged with illegal possession of a switchblade.
“There is no law against running,” Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said at the news conference.
Mr. Rodriguez said an autopsy performed Monday found that Mr. Gray suffered “a very tragic injury” to his spinal cord, which caused his death. “What we don’t know, and what we need to get to, is how that injury occurred,” Mr. Rodriguez said.
William Murphy Jr., a lawyer for Mr. Gray’s family, said
Mr. Gray’s spine was nearly severed at his neck while he was in police custody. He lapsed into a coma before dying Sunday, the lawyer said.
The police department’s probe will be completed by May 1, Mr. Batts said. Findings will be turned over to the city’s chief prosecutor, Marilyn Mosby. “I can assure the public that my office has dedicated all its existing resources to independently investigate this matter to determine whether criminal charges will be brought,” she said in a statement.
Mr. Gray’s family said he previously had been healthy.
The incident has fueled several protests about police behavior in the city, including one on Monday.