According to Freddie Gray’s autopsy report, which has not yet been released to the public, the 25-year-old suffered a “high-energy injury” to his neck and spine during an alleged rough ride in a police van. By Medical Examiner Carol H. Allan’s assessment, the injury affected Gray’s breathing, and probably occurred when the van was stopping abruptly. And because the officers in the vehicle did not follow standard safety procedures, Allan dubbed Gray’s death a homicide.
When Gray was put in the vehicle, he was originally seated on a bench. But officers failed to secure his seatbelt — knowingly violating Baltimore Police Department safety protocol. Gray subsequently yelled and banged on the vehicle, after which police put leg restraints on him.
“He was removed from the van and placed on the ground in a kneeling position, facing the van doors, while ankle cuffs were placed, and then slid onto the floor of the van, belly down and head first, reportedly still verbally and physically active,” Allan wrote.
The driver, Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr., allegedly looked in the back of the vehicle during the third stop. At the fourth, he “opened the doors and observed Mr. Gray lying belly down on the floor with his head facing the cabin compartment, and reportedly he was asking for help, saying he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t get up, and needed a medic,” at which point Gray was put back on the bench. At the fifth stop, Sgt. Alicia D. White observed Gray “kneeling on the floor, facing the front of the van and slumped over to his right against the bench, and reportedly appeared lethargic with minimal responses to direct questions.”
With regard to how the injury was sustained, Allan points to several possibilities. The amount of force needed for such a blow could not have been caused while Gray was laying on the floor, but he may have fallen while attempting to stand on his feet and move to a bench. Another possibility is that the injury was sustained as Gray was “changing position on the floor of the van,” or “in a partially reclining position.”
Whatever the cause, the examiner considers Gray’s death a homicide, saying it was “not an unforeseen event that a vulnerable individual was injured during operation of the vehicle, and that without prompt medical attention, the injury would prove fatal.” Her findings also counter claims that Gray had a preexisting spinal injury.
Since the autopsy report was completed in April, Maryland State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby has charged all six officers involved in the incident. Those charges range from second-degree depraved heart murder and involuntary manslaughter to misconduct in office and false imprisonment.
But Gray was not the first person to incur serious injuries inside of a BPD vehicle. As details about Gray’s death emerged, several people came forward with stories about the department’s “rough rides.” They allege Baltimore officers violently toss people into vehicles without buckling them, then proceed to drive recklessly. At least three people have been paralyzed during rough rides, and the department is currently facing a lawsuit for leaving a 27-year-old unbuckled and driving “maniacally.” “They were braking really short so that I would slam against the wall, and they were taking really wide, fast turns,” Christine Abbott claims. “You feel like a piece of cargo.”