Freddie Gray death: Officer acquitted of four charges

A police officer has been acquitted of charges related to the
death of a black man in police custody in Baltimore.
Edward Nero was cleared by a judge of second-degree
assault, reckless endangerment and two counts of misconduct
in office.
Freddie Gray, who was 25, died after sustaining a severe spinal
injury in the back of a police van during his arrest in April
2015.
His death caused days of massive protests and unrest in
Baltimore.
Last year, a jury failed to reach a verdict in the case of
another officer connected to Gray's death, William Porter.
Officer Porter was the first of six officers charged in Gray's
death to be tried, with four more trials still to come.
The most serious charges have been made against Officer
Caesar Goodson, the driver of the van.
In Officer Nero's trial, a judge said he "acted as any
reasonable officer would" and did not touch Gray until he was
in handcuffs.
Officer Nero helped load Gray back into the police van after
police said he was kicking, screaming and shaking inside of it.
"The state's theory has been one of recklessness and
negligence," said Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams.
"There has been no evidence that the defendant intended for a
crime to occur."

Compared with some of the other police officers who await

trial, Officer Nero's charges were less serious - and didn't

directly link him to Gray's death.

Other officers who face trial have been accused of second-

degree murder and manslaughter.

The speed with which authorities in Baltimore arrested and

charged the officers involved in the arrest and detention of

Gray was held up as an example of a criminal justice system

acting swiftly at a time of high tension between young black

men and the police.

But protesters who are demanding justice for Gray say the real

measure will be if anyone is in the end held accountable for

his death.

Mr Nero said he was "relieved" that "this nightmare" was

nearing an end.

Baltimore's police union called the trials "baseless

prosecutions".

"None of these officers did anything wrong," said Gene Ryan,

the union's president. "The state attorney's office responded to

the riots and violence in Baltimore by rushing to charge these

officers rashly and without any meaningful investigation."

The prosecution had been hoping to use Officer Porter as a

witness in the other officer's trials. He will face another trial in

June.

Gray's death helped spur a national debate over police use of

force, especially against black men.

In Baltimore, protests raged for days and even turned violent,

prompting officials to declare a state of emergency and deploy

national guard troops.

A post-mortem report found that Gray sustained a neck injury

slamming into a van wall during the ride.

He was not restrained with a seatbelt.

During Officer Porter's trial, prosecutors said he ignored Mr

Gray's pleas for medical help, describing the van as a "coffin

on wheels".