A Baltimore judge has declared a mistrial in the case of Baltimore Police Officer William Porter. Porter, black, is one of six officers on trial following the death of Freddie Gray in April of 2015.
Tuesday afternoon, day 2 of the trial, jurors told the judge that they were deadlocked. After being encouraged to continue to deliberate, the case continued for a 3rd day on Wednesday. By lunch on Wednesday jurors were still unable to reach a unanimous decision on any of Porter’s 4 charges, leading the judge to declare a mistrial.
Porter’s charges include involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office.
Prosecutors argue that Porter, who was sent to check on Gray during the van’s stops, should have a medic for Gray long before one was called. It is also said that Porter should have restrained Gray with a safety belt while traveling, which he did not.
A mistrial in the case of Porter is considered a blow to the prosecution team for all of the other officers’ cases, which are set for early 2016. According to Legal Analyst Sunny Hostin, the outcome in Porter’s case will likely symbolize that of the following cases.
Sources: CNN
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