Death of black man in custody sparks

Baltimore police vowed on Monday to make a full and swift probe of the death of a black suspect who suffered spinal injuries after white officers arrested him

Death of black man in custody sparks

World Bulletin / News Desk 

U.S. black man has died while in police custody, according to documents obtained by local media.

Freddie Gray, 25, died at a hospital in the city of Baltimore on Sunday, one week following his arrest on a weapons charge.

Cell phone video of the arrest showed Gray with his hands behind his back, screaming as police lifted him to his feet and dragged him into a transport van.

Gray's attorney told local media that his client’s spinal cord was partially severed near his neck when he was taken to the hospital.

According to court documents obtained by The Baltimore Sun on Monday, police said Gray was arrested "without force or incident" for having a "one-hand-operated knife" and suffered a medical emergency during his transport to the hospital 30 minutes after his arrest.

The documents said Officer Garrett Miller stopped Gray because he "fled unprovoked upon noticing police presence."

Gray's death comes on the heels of a string of recent police-involved killings of black suspects across the country, including deaths of Michael Brown in Missouri, Eric Garner in New York and Walter Scott in South Carolina among others.

The incidents have stirred racial tensions, setting off nationwide protests over perceived injustices within the U.S. justice system.

Speaking at a press conference Monday, Baltimore Deputy Police Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez said Gray’s autopsy showed he died from an injury to his spinal cord.

"What we do not know, and what we need to get to, is how that injury occurred," he said, adding that the officer involved in the arrest has been suspended from the force.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake also expressed her frustration about the incident.

"This is a very, very tense time for Baltimore city, and I understand the community's frustration. I understand it because I'm frustrated. I'm angry that we are here again," she said, as quoted by CNN.

Officials promised a full investigation into circumstances involving the death.

Police Commissioner Anthony Batts told reporters that his department would conclude its investigation by May 1.

Güncelleme Tarihi: 21 Nisan 2015, 10:52
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