Baltimore State Attorney Marilyn Mosby shocked the world by charging six Baltimore police officers in the death of Freddie Gray. Stating there was no probable cause for Gray’s arrest, the recently elected state’s attorney promptly filed various charges against the officers, the most serious being murder. A retired LAPD chief weighs in on whether the charges will stick.
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Baltimore prosecutors would not have had to make a decision to prosecute those six officers had the chief of police done his job in the first place. It doesn’t take a jury and proof beyond a reasonable doubt to terminate police officers who cannot follow the rules.
A Lieutenant and a sergeant, both being prosecuted along with their subordinates, were on scene and did nothing to correct a blatant disregard for established police policy and rules. That says this kind of behavior has been allowed to go on unchecked. That says the police union has too much influence and the Chief of police and his top staff doesn’t have the courage to do their job.
The brass, along with the accused officers, should be held accountable for allowing a culture of police impunity to metastasize in Baltimore.
And, clearly, Baltimore is not alone.
Stephen Downing
Deputy Chief,LAPD (Ret.)
1 Comment
Violating department policy is one thing, but to be charged with homicide is an over kill in my opinion. I have seen that video many times of Freddie Gray being ‘dragged’ to the van because he couldn’t walk. No one has asked if his back could have been injured before he was put into that van. Having said this, I am in no way condoning the actions of those cops.