It was only a matter of time.
It has been over three weeks since Freddie Gray’s fatal run-in with Baltimore Police and the department has yet to provide the public with answers regarding how the 25-year-old sustained spinal cord injuries. But it appears that someone somewhere may already be conspiring to blame Gray for his injuries.
According to The Washington Post, a 38-year-old prisoner who was in the police transport van with Gray prior to his arrival at the police station told investigators that he believes Gray “was intentionally trying to injure himself.”
Though the men were separated by a metal partition and were unable to see one another, the witness, who is currently in jail, claims that he could hear Gray “banging against the walls” of the vehicle. He was picked up after Gray’s arrest six blocks away from the police station.
Police records documenting the incident say that Gray was found unconscious in the transport van when it arrived at the police station on April 12. As previously reported, the department claims that they do not know if Gray sustained the fatal injuries during his arrest or the 30-minute ride to the station. Jason Downs, an attorney representing the Gray family, says that the family had not been informed of the inmate’s comments to investigators.
“We disagree with any implication that Freddie Gray severed his own spinal cord,” Downs said. “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.”
Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts did admit that officers did not follow proper protocol when they chased Gray through a West Baltimore housing project before arresting him. Batts said that officers failed to properly secure him in the back of the wagon with a safety belt or harness and ignored his pleas for medical assistance. The department said that they intend to wrap up their internal investigation by Friday and their findings will be handed over to the Baltimore state’s attorney’s office. From there, it will be determined whether or not the involved officers should be indicted.
I realize that we may never know what truly happened in that van on April 12, but I would truly hope that Baltimore Police Department isn’t about to insult the public’s intelligence by trying to imply that Gray severed his own spine.
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