Officer Edward Nero, who failed to secure Freddie Gray with a seatbelt in the police van, was found not guilty on all charges in Gray’s death. Now we wait to see if Baltimore is once again torn apart and if Mayor Rawlings-Blake will give rioters their space again?
My statement on the judge’s decision in the criminal trial of officer Nero pic.twitter.com/2clErkU0YF— Mayor Rawlings-Blake (@MayorSRB) May 23, 2016
Here we go again…
Freddie Gray case: Baltimore Police Officer Edward Nero found not guilty of all charges
by Justin Fenton and Kevin Rector | The Baltimore Sun
Officer Edward Nero found not guilty on all four charges related to the arrest and death of Freddie Gray.
Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams on Monday acquitted Officer Edward Nero of all counts for his role in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray.
The judgment, following a five-day bench trial, is the first in the closely-watched case. Nero, 30, faced four misdemeanor charges of second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and two counts of misconduct in office.
Prosecutors had argued that Nero committed an assault by detaining Gray without justification, while the reckless endangerment charge related to Nero’s role in putting Gray into an arrest wagon without buckling a seat belt. In closing arguments Thursday, Williams had skeptically questioned prosecutors about their theory of assault, which legal experts said was unprecedented.
Nero leaned forward after the verdict was read, and wiped his eyes. He hugged his attorneys.
Billy Murphy, the attorney for the Gray family, commended Williams for not bowing to public pressure…more