Posted on 04/28/2015 7:53:47 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Freddie Gray, who died a week after suffering injuries while in Baltimore police custody, had a lengthy criminal record, mainly for drug-related offenses, according to state court records. Police claim he was “involved in criminal activity,” prior to his arrest.
Gray, 25, died after spending seven days in a coma as a result of injuries he suffered while in the custody of city police, the Baltimore Sun reports.
He was arrested April 12 by four officers outside a public housing complex. Police said four bicycle officers tried to stop Gray for an unspecified reason and he ran from them. They caught him and detained him while waiting for backup.
It’s not yet known how Gray died. His death has sparked unrest in the city, including protests that turned violent.
A friend told the Baltimore Sun that Gray may have ran from the officers because, “he had a history with that police beating him.”
Freddie Gray Arrest Record
Gray had a lengthy arrest record with convictions dating back until at least 2007, according to the Maryland Department of Justice. Not all of the arrests led to convictions, in many of the cases he pleaded guilty to one charge while the others were dropped. Details of when he spent time in prison were not immediately available. His arrest record includes at least 18 arrests:
•March 20, 2015: Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance
•March 13, 2015: Malicious destruction of property, second-degree assault
•January 20, 2015: Fourth-degree burglary, trespassing
•January 14, 2015: Possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute
•December 31, 2014: Possession of narcotics with intent to distribute
•December 14, 2014: Possession of a controlled dangerous substance
•August 31, 2014: Illegal gambling, trespassing
•January 25, 2014: Possession of marijuana
•September 28, 2013: Distribution of narcotics, unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance, second-degree assault, second-degree escape
•April 13, 2012: Possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance, violation of probation
•July 16, 2008: Possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession with intent to distribute
•March 28, 2008: Unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance
•March 14, 2008: Possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to manufacture and distribute
•February 11, 2008: Unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a controlled dangerous substance
•August 29, 2007: Possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, violation of probation
•August 28, 2007: Possession of marijuana
•August 23, 2007: False statement to a peace officer, unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance
•July 16, 2007: Possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance (2 counts)
Why Was Freddie Gray Arrested Before His Death?
Details of what led police to try to arrest Gray in April 2015 have not been made public by police. Deputy Police Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez told the Baltimore Sun that details of the arrest remain “a bit vague,” and that the officers patrolling a high-crime area with drug issues believed Gray was “immediately involved or had been recently involved in criminal activity.”
Documents obtained by the Guardian show that he was charged with unlawful possession of a switch blade knife, which was found after he was detained. The documents are not clear about what led to the stop. No other charges are listed.
The Associated Press reports Gray has been in and out of prison on drug convictions since 2008, according to online court records. He was set to start a trial in May on drug charges stemming from a December arrest.
“We had officers in a high-crime area known to have high narcotic incidents,” Rodriguez said, according to the AP. “The officers believe that Mr. Gray was immediately involved or recently involved in criminal activity and decided to make contact.”
Police released a timetable of the events leading up to Gray’s arrest and death. He was seen at about 8:40 a.m. on April 12 on a street northwest of the city’s downtown. The officers approached Gray and he ran. He was caught about two minutes later two blocks away. The officers called for a transport van at about 8:42 p.m. Then, at 8:54 a.m., a block away from where Gray was arrested, the van left for the Western District station “after stopping to place additional restraints on the suspect.” At about 9:24 a.m., an ambulance is called to the Western District station.
I can’t provide a link because this was sent to me in an e-mail and is an excerpt from a Baltimore newspaper article concerning civil cases against Baltimore police for brutality:
“Over the past four years, more than 100 people have won court judgments or settlements related to allegations of brutality and civil rights violations. Victims include a 15-year-old boy riding a dirt bike, a 26-year-old pregnant accountant who had witnessed a beating, a 50-year-old woman selling church raffle tickets, a 65-year-old church deacon rolling a cigarette and an 87-year-old grandmother aiding her wounded grandson ....
And in almost every case, prosecutors or judges dismissed the charges against the victims—if charges were filed at all. In an incident that drew headlines recently, charges against a South Baltimore man were dropped after a video showed an officer repeatedly punching him—a beating that led the police commissioner to say he was “shocked.””
One thing that may unite the city of Baltimore is that the black community is tired of getting it’s butt beaten and the entire community is tired of paying out big settlements for out of control cops!
I am against the so called thug culture and I thank god I have no thugs in my family, but intelligent folks who were in the service, however regardless of who this man was, it does not justify any death sentence while in custody unless a situation happens where an officer has to fight for his life. When this whole thing is said and done there needs to be an investigation into what happened, and I do have to say some police actions elsewhere in states like Indiana, and Tennessee where you have some innocent folks on the recieving end of no-knock warrant swat raids have me asking some questions to be fair.
If drugs were legal all the career criminals and thugs would magically become angels.
I did see the video of them putting him in the van but that’s about it..
And every white person at work today is responsible for this tragedy . . blah blah blah
While I'm interested in finding the cause of his death, I can't feel sorry for Freddie Gray. His lifestyle choices put himself and others lives and safety in jeopardy. Criminal activity never ends well. If the incident with the cops hadn't resulted in his death, he more than likely would have eventually died by the hand of someone else on the street. Drug dealers don't live long. There's always somebody you'll piss off who wants revenge, and drug users kill themselves a little at a time.
So the guy was a criminal.
That doesn’t exonerate the officers from responsibly caring for those in their charge or custody.
April 2015.
Matriculated in Harvard Law School.
Signed a record deal.
Elected Deacon of his church.
First Team All American.
I’m not seeing anything violent.
I'd like to see his prison record to see his behavior or misbehavior activity during his incarceration(s). Based on his street behavior, I'd say he wasn't a model inmate behind bars.
Before we blame the police, or Gray, we need more information.
Don't disagree, of course the thugs will never wait.
Oh, brother.
Assault, burglary, trespassing (in order to burgle); no, he’s just a victim of the war on drugs.
Watching the video a woman is yelling “his legs is broke” or something to that effect. Who knows what or when injuries happened?
Quote-Why is he dead
Same reason anybody dies.. the wages of sin..
Yea, but was he an aspiring rapper who was trying to turn his life around?
I think we learned from Ferguson that eyewitnesses are sometimes unreliable. Still, I would hope that there is an investigation going on regarding the arrest.
Show me proof that the police broke his back.
Assault isn’t violent where you come from? Burglary? What if someone had been home?
It’s possible he was roughed up before being put in the van and as a result his spine was fractured.
It may very well be that as a result of of the arrest and actions before being placed in the van are the cause and his spine, already compromised, then snapped as a result if the “ride”.
Which could be analagous to moving someone who has been in a terrible car accident, where their neck or the spine is already compromised and moving them exacerbated their injury.
We’ll have to wait and see but, as of now, it doesn’t look good or right to me.
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