No one discounts that Freddie Gray was injured and died of those injuries at some point during his arrest on Friday, but questions linger on exactly what happened to the Baltimore man.
CNN reports that two new accounts of what happened to Freddie Gray may dispute the notion that he died as a result of police brutality inside the van as he was being transported.
A woman close to one of the officers involved in the arrest, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told CNN the officer believes Freddie Gray may have been injured before he was put inside the police van.
Report on Freddie Gray’s death won’t be made public: http://t.co/NAQVRMKL79 pic.twitter.com/gUHUcRe93l
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 30, 2015
The officers seem to be dumbfounded as to how Freddie Gray was injured, but the woman offered an explanation why Freddie Gray was not buckled in as he was being transported, which Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said was inexcusable. The woman reportedly claimed Freddie Gray was being belligerent and was a danger to anyone in the tight quarters of the van.
“They didn’t want to reach over him. You were in a tight space in the paddy wagon. He’s already irate. He still has his teeth and he still has his saliva. So in order to seat belt somebody you have to get in their personal space. They’re not going to get in his personal space if he’s already irate.”
. @GTemp3 : pushback to WashPo is @BaltimorePolice controlled witness;relative of cop says #FreddieGray hurt BEFORE van pic.twitter.com/pSmZvb5NWq
— Chris Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) April 30, 2015
The second account that has surfaced was published by the Washington Post on Wednesday. According to the Post , an investigative document written by a Baltimore police investigator says a prisoner who was in the van with Freddie Gray told investigators he thought Gray “was intentionally trying to injure himself.”
The affidavit states that a prisoner who was in the same police van as Gray — but separated by a metal barrier making a visual account impossible — said he could hear Freddie Gray “banging against the walls” of the van and thought Gray “was intentionally trying to injure himself.”
UPDATE: At least 60 people were arrested in tonight’s #FreddieGray protest in #NYC : http://t.co/2SVcKLuhEh pic.twitter.com/N1OydJLgRT
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 30, 2015
Freddie Gray’s family attorney, Jason Downs, discounts the claim.
“We disagree with any implication that Freddie Gray severed his own spinal cord. We question the accuracy of the police reports we’ve seen thus far, including the police report that says Mr. Gray was arrested without force or incident.”
NYC, Boston, Minneapolis, other cities join in #FreddieGray protests http://t.co/BZNuoI6HmN pic.twitter.com/nuNTLiZ0MP
— UPI.com (@UPI) April 30, 2015
Protesters took to the streets in Baltimore for the third night in a row Wednesday to protest Freddie Gray’s death. A 10 p.m. curfew helped calm protests, preventing a repeat of Monday night’s riots.
Baltimore police are set to release their investigation to state prosecutors, who will determine whether charges should be filed against any officers.
Do you think these two new theories carry any weight?
[Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images]
