Freddie Gray's death ruled a homicide

[Bosonic]

Source: AP

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore's top prosecutor announced criminal charges Friday against all six officers suspended after a man suffered a fatal spinal injury in police custody, saying "no one is above the law."

"Mr. Gray's death was a homicide," State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby declared. His arrest was illegal and his treatment in custody amounted to murder and manslaughter, she said.

The announcement came after nearly two weeks of growing anger over Freddie Gray's death, and only hours after State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby received the results of a police investigation.

Mosby announced the stiffest charge -- second-degree "depraved heart" murder -- against the driver of the police van. Other officers face charges of involuntary manslaughter, assault and illegal arrest.

Read more: http://abc7news.com/news/freddie-grays-death-ruled-a-homicide/690829/

---

#BREAKING: Baltimore police officers face multiple charges over Freddie Gray death: prosecutor

https://twitter.com/AFP/status/594152984927444992

#BREAKING: Total of six Baltimore officers charged in Freddie Gray death: prosecutor

https://twitter.com/AFP/status/594154468083630080

[Tommy_Carcetti]

1. Time to charge the officers involved.

There's no justifiable homicide when the victim is chained up in the back of a police van. No self-defense or defense of others.

Charge their asses. Either manslaughter or 2nd Degree murder.

[Sophiegirl]

2. They are being charged. n/t

[liberal from boston]

29. Freddie Gray

The State Attorney stated that Warrants were issued for their arrests. So relieved that these police officers will be held accountable.

[asharpwone]

3. All 6 officers were charged with felonies just now.

As per the news conference.

[RKP5637]

6. Excellent!!! n/t

[PADemD]

9. Were charges filed against the van driver, too?

[me b zola]

13. 2nd degree murder n/t

[libdem4life]

34. and Depraved Heart Murder...in essence, having no humanity toward a living human.

[Joe Chi Minh]

72. Yes. I believe I read today in an online article from the New York Times

that the legal definition of 'depraved heart' is something like, 'a callous disregard for life'.

[christx30]

12. This is very good news.

Too often, cops will pull the "nickle ride" BS to administer extra judicial punishment to people they feel deserve it.
Looks like this time it blew up in their faces. Hopefully an example can be made of these cops and encourage others to just do their jobs without getting "creative".
When someone is in your custody, with their hands bound, their safety is 100% your responsibility. That's why you bind their hands, to force them to comply. For your safety, and theirs.

[Historic NY]

17. The installer of the prisoner insert is also neglient...

no bolts should protrude into the compartment they should be flat surfaced (carriage) bolts.

[Initech]

42. Excellent! These officers need to be made examples of.

[malthaussen]

4. I could have sworn they said yesterday they would take it to the Grand Jury.

Some interesting things going on in the city administration, methinks.

-- Mal

[RKP5637]

5. I hope they throw the book at these murderers! So tired of cops being given breaks by

the old boy's network.

[Enthusiast]

67. Me too.

[heaven05]

7. good

now let's see where this leads....anyone's guess.....

[calimary]

11. Judging from her demeanor at the podium anyway, I would NOT want to be a perpetrator

in her legal crosshairs. I wouldn't want her prosecuting a case against me.

Wow - finally charges against the police perpetrators. LOTS of charges against each of the six. How 'bout that. I'm no legal expert but it sounds like she's throwing the book at 'em!

[Judi Lynn]

14. Spectacular announcement. She is prepared, it would seem! She can handle media questions very well,

and it was riveting hearing her condemning the police who had attempted to leak material out before her office was ready to release information.

[Sophiegirl]

20. I was impressed.

She has a great future ahead of her.

[Judi Lynn]

38. She has her information locked firmly, is completely confident, and unafraid. You're right! n/t

[Jefferson23]

8. Officer/Driver charged with second degree murder...per CNN. n/t

[Gemini Cat]

10. Good! It's about time! nt

[lamp_shade]

15. Halleluiah(sp)??

[Buzz Clik]

16. Not exactly a reason to celebrate, but the neanderthals will be mourning.

[JimDandy]

50. The likelihood of Justice finally occuring IS reason to celebrate. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

18. I just remembered: State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said the knife Gray had was LEGAL.

She mentioned it at least twice, and said it was NOT a "switchblade."

[Sunlei]

19. all six charged!

[Buzz Clik]

21. Here comes the wingnut conspiracy theories:

From that place that shall not be named:

Homicide charges filed against all 6 officers.
so a black mayor, a black police chief, and now a black atty, all flaming libs, are now starting a trial as the evidence unravels before them. Life in a liberal city: Soviet style show trials. Let the jury tampering begin.

Poor knuckledraggers. Want to kill with impugnity, but the law keeps getting in the way.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

24. Also from said place, a cleansing moment of clarity:

Yep.... the fact that so many freepers the other day were jumping all over the story that “he broke his own neck and crushed his own windpipe” does not speak well for us.

Chortle.

[Buzz Clik]

33. Wow. That kind of introspection is rare...

... and not just there.

[maryellen99]

37. Do the Freepers realize not all of the cops charged are white? Nt

[hamsterjill]

53. Do we know that?

I found an article that gave the names of the six police officers, but I've not seen anything that indicates whether they are all white. One is female.

I'm not disputing your info; just wondering where I missed the information.

[maryellen99]

55. I googled one of the names Caesar Goodson Jr

I think he was the van driver.

[OnlinePoker]

62. 3 black, 3 white.

Van driver charged with murder is black.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/6-baltimore-police-charged-in-freddie-gray-death-released-on-bail-1.3057248

[7962]

71. 3 white, 3 black nt

[Amishman]

40. only matters if they are convicted

Otherwise they were rewarded with a lengthy paid vacation.

[KeepItReal]

22. FALSE IMPRISONMENT. FINALLY.

For everyone else out there preyed upon by cops that are in action indistinguishable from the Klan.

[Renew Deal]

23. What is "depraved heart murder"?

What is the difference between murder and heart murder?

[Joe Chi Minh]

28. Not just 'heart' 'depraved heart'. Not all people who kill are equally depraved.

Moses and King David were technically murderers, and I'm afraid David's heart was temporarily depraved by an adulterous lust, when he arranged for Uriah the Hittite to be killed in battle, but such depravity on his part was so uncharacteristic of him that God described him as a man after his own heart.

Nevertheless, it was particularly sad, because though a heathen Hittite, Uriah had the noblest of characters, refusingto go in his house to sleep with his wife, while his fellow soldiers were in the thick of battle, preferring to doss down by the gate of his house. Just the sort of thing that David might normally have done.

There is something of a parallel, when David and some of his champions are holed up in the cave of Odollam, overlooking Bethlehem. One of them said to the others, 'How's about we go down and get some of that water from the well at Bethlehem, the Old Man raves about so much? After David had been presented it, and probably after his champions had kipped down for the night, David offered it up to God, saying he couldn't drink it, since the lads had risked their lives to get it.

The heart has long been held to be the the seat of the emotions, and for that matter, of the will/volition. Also, wisdom. The human soul comprises the memory, the will, and the understanding. Mankind is much wiser than the intelligentsia in spiritual matters, matters of the greatest importance. Indeed for the intelligence of the worldly-wise to thrive, it must be directed to the common good, not mere self -aggrandisement. Without it, even common sense is lacking.

[Renew Deal]

36. Thanks

[herding cats]

30. Definition below

At common law, murder was defined as killing another human being with malice aforethought. Malice aforethought is a legal term of art, that encompasses the following types of murder:

"Intent-to-kill murder"

"Grievous-bodily-harm murder" - Killing someone in an attack intended to cause them grievous bodily harm. For example, if a person fatally stabbed someone, even if she only intended to wound her victim, she could still be executed.

"Felony-murder" - Killing someone while in the process of committing a felony. Note that at common law, there were few felonies, and all carried the death penalty. For example, at common law, robbery was a felony. So if a robber accidentally killed someone during a robbery, the robber could be executed.

"Depraved heart murder" - Killing someone in a way that demonstrates a callous disregard for the value of human life. For example, if a person intentionally fires a gun into a crowded room, and someone dies, the person could be convicted of depraved heart murder.

These definitions are valuable because they inform subsequent reforms of American murder law.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/murder

[Renew Deal]

35. Thanks

[herding cats]

41. You're welcome.

I think it could have been charged as grievous-bodily-harm murder, but I can see how depraved heart murder might be easier to get a conviction on.

[Joe Chi Minh]

25. "'depraved heart' murder" - Now, we are getting to the truth, the reality

of the driving force behind what black, American males have been suffering at the hands of their public servants.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

64. Thank you! That's the bottom line. They should be under the jail for life!

[underpants]

26. They get their day in court

Lucky them

[ananda]

27. I'm glad to see the prosecutor is doing her job.

Also, some of the charges are interesting.

I didn't know what depraved heart murder was till today.

Sounds like a good call.

[Inkfreak]

31. Great! Fantastic! Bravo!

They took that mans life.

Fuck the police.

[AuntPatsy]

32. Excellent news, justice needs to prevail...

[mopinko]

39. funny how that works when your city is on fire.

i havent the slightest doubt that peaceful protests would not have brought this result.

[Hekate]

43. Gratitude. Now for the judge and jury; may they be as good.

KnR

[NBachers]

44. Full video here:

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/05/01/city-states-attorney-says-freddie-grays-arrest-illegal-has-enough-evidence-for-charges/

"Warrants have been issued for their arrest."

[azurnoir]

45. Yes

[Solly Mack]

46. K&R

[christx30]

47. I'm glad these officers are being charged,

but I'm worried about them being overcharged. The cops didn't MEAN to kill him. So it's going to be difficult to prove intent. I would have gone for manslaughter, with depraved indifference under color of law. That'd put them away for a while, and be easier to prove beyond reasonable doubt.

[JimDandy]

51. 2 officers are being charged with Involuntary Manslaughter

All the officers could reasonable have known that an already injured prisoner (legs clearly injured in video) in their care was likely to die if left unbuckled in the back of that van. And, as soon as that female police officer found him face down, unresponsive and still unbuckled, all reasonable doubt that he already had, or would soon likely receive, life threatening injuries if he continued to be left in that van went out the window

[christx30]

52. That's good. Makes me feel better.

I hope this is handled carefully, and all the facts come out. But if things are even half as bad for the cops as they look now, they should be convicted.

[ariesgem]

48. Kudos to the procecutor..

This is HOW to do it.

[cascadiance]

49. Maybe they should charge those who arrested the man who filmed this incident too!

They should be included in the charges in being complicit in trying to cover up this homicide and be charged with murder themselves. Maybe if that were to happen we'd get rid of this modern day American Gestapo tactic if they're afraid of being charged with the same crimes of the cops they are trying to cover for!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026600465

[Joe Chi Minh]

54. Good point.

[christx30]

56. I just read something on foxnews.

Can anyone confirm?

BALTIMORE – The highest-ranking Baltimore police officer in the arrest that led to Freddie Gray's death was hospitalized in April 2012 over mental health concerns for an unknown duration and had his guns confiscated by local sheriff's deputies, according to records from the sheriff's office and court obtained by The Associated Press.

Here's the link:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/04/30/police-officer-in-freddie-gray-arrest-once-hospitalized-over-mental-health/

[darkangel218]

57. Thank god justice is being served for once.

K&R!

[Butterbean]

58. Good. Appropriate. n/t

[NobodyHere]

59. Do the jurors only have the option to convict on that charges given?

Or do they have the option to convict on a lesser charge such as manslaughter?

[davidpdx]

60. Look for the police smear machine will go into full throttle

I wouldn't want to be Mosby right now.

[Enthusiast]

68. Fuck the police and the smear machine they rode in on.

[JDPriestly]

61. This may just be the beginning. The police officers know where this is

headed. The ambulance driver got the toughest charge?????? Yeah, sure. He is the key to finding out the truth if there is more to this story than what we now know.

This is, I believe, a serious prosecution.

I am not saying that charges will be upgraded or that there is more to the story than the prosecutor stated in the charges. But . . . . . . if there is, I think this prosecutor may well find it.

[romanic]

63. Good!

Though it's sad were "celebrating", Gray should not have died in the first place. He had a rap sheet and should have been tried by the law instead of it's enforcement carrying out a death sentence. That is not the job of an LEO! I hope the charges lead to sweeping reform in law enforcement; you are to keep the peace and arrest threats to society, not prey on innocents or carry out the death penalty.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

65. He had a "rap sheet"? Sources, or delete the statement. And if he did have a "rap sheet,"

that's still doesn't give the cops probable cause to do anything to him. He was not doing anything wrong. Check your bias at the door.

[Earth_First]

66. This is some appologist bullshit right here!

Grays' past dealings with the law have absolutely no bearing on his manslaughter while in police custody...

[Enthusiast]

69. Tried? FOR WHAT?

[CullenBohannon]

70. Good

Though it might be easier to prove a fed civil rights violation.