Newsletter Newsletters Events Events Podcasts Videos Africanews
Loader
Advertisement

US judge rejects bid to drop charges against police officers over Freddie Gray death

US judge rejects bid to drop charges against police officers over Freddie Gray death
Copyright 
By Euronews
Published on
Share this article Comments
Share this article Close Button

A judge in the US has rejected a defence bid to drop charges against six police officers, accused over the death of a black man, and ordered separate

ADVERTISEMENT

A judge in the US has rejected a defence bid to drop charges against six police officers, accused over the death of a black man, and ordered separate trials.

Freddie Gray died in April, a week after suffering a critical spinal injury while in custody. It led to protests and a riot in Baltimore.

The case has become part of a national debate in America on police treatment of minorities.

The six officers face charges ranging from second-degree murder to manslaughter, second-degree assault and misconduct.

Judge Barry Williams has also thrown out a request to remove the State’s Attorney and other prosecutors from the case.

Williams rejected the defence contention that the attorney violated her obligation to assure a fair trial when she announced the charges at a news conference as the largely black city of Baltimore of 620,000 people was in turmoil.

Williams said that point would best be settled in a misconduct proceeding, not in his courtroom. He said the attorney’s comments did not warrant dropping charges.

Go to accessibility shortcuts
Share this article Comments

Read more

Is Trump's payback tour blowing over the Atlantic? 

US Treasury sanctions Brazilian judge overseeing Bolsonaro's trial

Judge gives ex-officer nearly 3 years in Breonna Taylor raid, rebuffs DOJ call for no prison time