Two officers charged in the case surrounding Freddie Gray’s death for failing to get the 25-year-old medical help are now suing Baltimore’s top attorney for her decision to prosecute them.
Court documents filed by Sgts. Alicia White and William Porter claim that State Attorney Marilyn Mosby charged them “not for the purpose of prosecuting crimes that had allegedly been committed by White and Porter, but rather for purposes of quelling the riots in Baltimore.”
Both officers blame Mosby and the state for damaging their reputations. They’re seeking at least $75,000 for defamation and invasion of privacy, arguing that “they continue to suffer mental pain and anguish, and humiliation.”
Last May, less than three weeks after Gray’s death from a high-impact injury to his neck and spine in a police van, Porter and White were charged for ignoring his medical and safety needs. Though Porter was tasked with monitoring Gray during several police stops, he failed to secure Gray’s seatbelt and, according to prosecutors, waited too long to tell medics that Gray was in distress. White is accused of declining to act when she saw Gray on the floor and was told he needed a medic during the van’s last stop.
Facing involuntary manslaughter, assault in the second degree, and reckless endangerment charges, Porter was the first of six officers to go to trial for Gray’s death. That court battle ended in December with a hung jury, but Mosby’s office will try him again this year. White is expected to go to trial in October for the same charges.
The lawsuit leaked on Wednesday also claims the two officers “have suffered, and continue to suffer, monetary damages in the form of lost income, lost raises in salary, and lost promotions” because they are on administrative leave without pay.
Has Marilyn Mosby Fulfilled Her Promise To Baltimore’s Youth?Justice by CREDIT: AP Photo/Alex Brandon In the days after 25-year-old Freddie Gray was fatally injured in a police van…thinkprogress.orgEver since she announced charges against the six officers involved in Freddie Gray’s case, Mosby has been slammed by Baltimore’s police force — including the head of the city’s police union, who claims the state’s attorney used Gray’s death for personal gain.
“None of these Officers did anything wrong. The State Attorney’s office responded to the riots and violence in Baltimore by rushing to charge these Officers rashly and without any meaningful investigation,” Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police President Gene Ryan said on Monday, following the acquittal of one of the six people involved, Officer Edward Nero. “They seized a political opportunity and in the process destroyed 6 lives and demolished the relationship between the Baltimore Police department and their own office.”
Although activists in the city hailed Mosby as a hero and champion of change for taking bold action against Porter, White, and their colleagues, Mosby has generally defended Baltimore officers accused of misconduct and excessive force. During her time in office, she has declined to charge several officers without investigating them for near-fatal shootings and has refused to press cops who told inconsistent stories about why they shot people.