One police officer, the driver, was charged with murder, three with manslaughter and two with assault. I suspect that the driver and the Lieutenant who was riding with him have a lot to answer for. The female officer who neglected to call for medical treatment and the three officers who neglected to secure him in a seat belt will not likely get convicted of assault or manslaughter. All could be convicted of misconduct.
So wait, this guy got into the van on his own power, no cops in there with him, and when they get where they are going he is all jacked up? David Blain on the Baltimore PD?
It sounds like Shane's buddy has rejected the culture he came from and is trying to be white. This is a form of self loathing. You, on the other hand while appearing to be conservative in your dress and manner are more of a realist and you still embrace where you came from if not the outward symbols of urban hipness. I would bet that you are a lot more comfortable with who you are than Shane's buddy is with who he is. I wouldn't have any idea of the reasons behind someone like that unless maybe he came from a bad family situation and is trying to make himself different rather than lending a helping hand to other people from his cultural mileiu.
Don't get me wrong, he is a great guy. We had a very lengthy conversation one night about race and he made his point or stance very clear. "They have the same opportunities that I did, it's up to them to do the right thing with them". To an extent I agree but I've come to understand that even though he didn't come from money or privilege and had to work for what he has; the field is still far from level.
"Ms. Mosby said that Mr. Gray suffered a fatal spinal injury on April 12 while being transported in a police van — and not earlier, while being arrested — and pointed to the failure of the police to put a seatbelt on him as a crucial factor. “Mr. Gray suffered a critical neck injury as a result of being handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained inside the BPD wagon,” she said, referring to the police van. Despite repeated stops to check on his condition, the van driver and other officers never belted him in, she said, at times leaving him facedown on the van floor with his hands behind him. Mr. Gray’s condition deteriorated, she said, as officers repeatedly ignored his pleas for medical attention and ignored obvious signs that he was in distress. At one point, she said, when an officer attempted to check on him, he was completely unresponsive — yet no action was taken. He died of his injuries a week later."
So, if all of that is true, it sounds like misconduct and negligence, potentially manslaughter. Gonna be hard to get a murder conviction, and Balmor may very well burn again.
I suspect all will be convicted of something, with the driver getting 2nd degree. In Maryland that means anything other than first degree. What I find "problematic" is that Mosby has received political support from the Gray family attorney and her husband Nick is a councilman who was not only very outspoken the last few weeks, but whose career could be enhanced if/when there are convictions. The SA, Mosby, has already said she will not recuse herself or agree to a special prosecutor. It's her call obviously....but why let something sit there that could eventually lead to the officer's exhoneration?
I don't know...Maryland has a nebulous second degree murder law IMO and it could be tough to convict. A broader interpretation (outside of Maryland) includes "a killing caused by dangerous conduct and the offender's obvious lack of concern for human life."
