Baltimore police officer accused of "rough ride" acquitted in death of Freddie Gray
Caesar Goodson Jr. was the driver of the police transport van in which Freddie Gray's neck was broken. Today a judge found him not guilty of second-degree murder.
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Police officer, Caesar Goodson Jr. (left) Freddie Gray (right) Freddie Gray received fatal injuries in the back of a police transport van. To date, no police officers have been convicted in his death. (AP)
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As It Happens6:46Baltimore police officer accused of "rough ride" acquitted in death of Freddie Gray
The Baltimore police officer who drove the van in which Freddie Gray was fatally injured has been acquitted of all charges in Gray's death, including the most serious charge of second-degree "depraved heart" murder.
Caesar Goodson Jr. and five other officers were accused of giving the hand-cuffed and shackled Gray a so-called "rough ride" by driving aggressively while Mr. Gray was in the back without a seatbelt.
Gloria Darden, mother of Freddie Gray, center, sits in front of Gray's casket at his burial, Monday, April 27, 2015. (The Associated Press)
We have a family who buried a child as a result of this. Something did happen. Freddie was killed.- Rev. Cortly Witherspoon
Judge Barry Williams disagreed, saying there was insufficient evidence that the officers intended to harm Mr. Gray.
Cortly Witherspoon is a pastor and activist who is protesting the verdict. Here is part of his conversation with As It Happens host Carol Off.
Carol Off: Elder Witherspoon, I know you're out with a lot of people on the street now. How are they reacting to the verdict today?
Cortly Witherspoon: Clearly, people are outraged and they feel that the criminal justice system has failed the citizens of Baltimore city. People of all colours, of all economic backgrounds, feel the criminal justice system that their tax dollars fund and sponsor, in a sense, has dropped a ball before the eye of the nation, as so far as sending a message that police terror will not be tolerated in the city of Baltimore.
Protesters gather outside a courthouse after Caesar Goodson, one of six Baltimore city police officers charged in connection to the death of Freddie Gray, was acquitted of all charges. (The Associated Press)
CO: Are you suggesting that the judge is biased or that he had some friction or previous history with the prosecutor that may have tainted the outcome of this trial?
CW: I think that's very possible. Something had to have happened because there were a plethora of different charges, from the most extreme to the most minute that this officer could've been charged with, and he wasn't charged with anything. This was the one that everyone expected for there to be some measure of justice, in terms of a conviction. The fact that there wasn't . . . I feel comfortable saying that all of these officers are going to walk.
Officer Caesar Goodson, back right, one of six Baltimore city police officers charged in connection to the death of Freddie Gray, arrives at the courthouse on Thursday, June 23. (The Associated Press)
CW: We have a family who buried their child as a result of this. Something did happen. Freddie was killed. He was alive and well before he came in contact with the Baltimore city police. So someone should be held accountable today.
