Baltimore police were conducting a criminal investigation on Sunday into the death of a man injured in their custody. The mayor, meanwhile, vowed to ensure the city held “the right people accountable”.
Freddie Gray, 25, died on Sunday at a hospital, a week after he was hurt following an arrest. A timeline released earlier in the week by police said Gray was taken by a van from the scene of his arrest to a station, where an ambulance was called to treat him. Civilian video showed him being loaded into the van, but did not show the entire encounter.
His family has said he suffered spinal injuries, and he remained in critical condition throughout the week.
Deputy commissioner Jerry Rodriguez said at a news conference on Sunday that a criminal investigation was under way.
“It’s a two-part investigation. One is a criminal case, for Mr Gray and also the officers. We always have that component in there to determine whether there is criminal culpability,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez declined to specify why four bicycle officers stopped Gray.
“We had officers in a high-crime area known to have high narcotic incidents,” he said “The officers believe that Mr Gray was immediately involved or recently involved in criminal activity and decided to make contact.”
Baltimore’s mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, said she had the same questions as reporters: “How was Mr Gray injured? Were the proper protocols and procedures actually followed? What are the next steps to take from here?”
She promised a thorough investigation and “real answers” for the community.
“I will ensure we will hold the right people accountable,” Rawlings-Blake said.
Gray’s family has declined, so far, to interact with police, said police commissioner Anthony Batts. Batts said the department would try again this week to share information with them.
“Today, on this holy day, a mother has lost her son,” Batts said. “Freddie Gray passed. My greatest hope and wish and desire is that any time we have an interaction as a police department or a contact, that everyone goes home safe. All lives matter. All lives matter in this city.”
The department, an independent review board and the Baltimore prosecutor’s office will investigate the case, Batts said.
The Justice League NYC, which organised a rally on Saturday night at the station where Gray was taken, held another protest on Sunday afternoon at the site. The first event was scheduled as the league’s “March2Justice” reached Baltimore on its way to a rally Tuesday in Washington.
“Enough is enough! Police brutality must end!” the group said in a statement.
Gray was black; the race of the officers involved could not immediately be confirmed. His death came amid a national debate about the deaths of black men at the hands of police.
