1 of 2 | Protesters march in the streets a day after Baltimore authorities released a report announcing charges against the six arresting officers of Baltimore resident Freddie Gray, in Baltimore, Md., on May 2, 2015. Marilyn Mosby, Baltimore City state's attorney, said the death of Freddie Gray was a homicide and that his arrest was illegal. An autopsy report found Gray suffered a "high-energy injury," the Baltimore Sun reported. |
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BALTIMORE, June 24 (UPI) -- A medical examiner found Freddie Gray's death to be a homicide after he suffered a single "high-energy injury" to his spine and neck when the Baltimore police van he was in suddenly slowed down and officers failed to follow proper procedures.
According to an autopsy report obtained by the Baltimore Sun, Gray's death could not be ruled accidental because officers failed to follow safety procedures "through acts of omission." Investigators said the injuries that led to Gray's death were akin to what is seen in shallow-water diving incidents.
Gray, 25, was arrested April 12 and died a week later, sparking riots and protests over claims of police brutality and racial discrimination. Six police officers were indicted on various charges in the case, including one officer who faces the most serious charge of second-degree "depraved-heart" murder. All have pleaded not guilty. The trial is set for October.
The Sun reported Gray was loaded on his belly into the police van, but may have gotten to his feet and was thrown into a wall during an abrupt turn, the medical examiner said. He was not belted in and his wrists and ankles were shackled, putting him "at risk for an unsupported fall during acceleration or deceleration of the van."
The autopsy detailed the several stops made by the police van as officers traveled to the station. Gray's most significant injury was to the left side of his head and it likely occurred between the second and fourth stop, the report said.
The injury to his spinal cord would have caused the loss of the function of his limbs and would have "direct effects" on his ability to breathe, the report said. The report does not note any previous injuries to Gray's spine.
The autopsy was concluded April 30, the day before Marilyn J. Mosby, the state's attorney for Baltimore, announced criminal charges against Sgt. Alicia D. White, Lt. Brian W. Rice and officers Edward M. Nero, Garrett E. Miller, Caesar R. Goodson Jr. and William F. Porter.
The medical examiner and the prosecutor's office declined Tuesday to release the report. The officers' lawyers said Tuesday they have not seen the report. The Sun reported it had obtained a copy of the autopsy from an anonymous source.
Mosby condemned the leak in a statement.
"As I have repeatedly stated, I strongly condemn anyone with access to trial evidence who has leaked information prior to the resolution of this case," she said.
