Report: Fellow Prisoner Says Freddie Gray 'Intentionally Injured Himself' in Police Custody
A prisoner who was allegedly in the same police transport van as the recently-deceased Freddie Gray has reportedly told police that the 25-year-old attempted to "intentionally injure himself" by banging himself on the sides of the van.
The fellow prisoner, who remains in jail, was reportedly being transferred with Gray after they were both arrested. The prisoner says in a court document obtained by The Washington Post that Gray was "banging against the walls" of the van and "was intentionally trying to injure himself."
A week-long protest has taken place in Baltimore, Maryland over the death of 25-year-old Gray, who was found unconscious in a police transport van after being arrested earlier this month. Gray reportedly died of a spinal cord injury a week after being arrested by Baltimore police.
Many Baltimore residents are demanding that police provide more answers as to how Gray died.
Protests in the east coast city grew violent on Monday when some rioters looted businesses and set fire to cars, causing Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to declare a state of emergency and call in the National Guard.
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said this week that there is a "misconception" that details of the report regarding Gray's manner of death will be released to the public.
"The misconception is that this report will be released publicly and it will not be," Cheryl Stewart, a spokesperson for the mayor's office, told USA Today. "We just want to make it clear that releasing too much information could be harmful to the investigation and to justice."
"Everybody is pinning on Friday like this is going to a big verdict or something and that's not going to happen," Stewart said. "I understand people want the details. But giving it to the public could jeopardize whether charges will be brought."
