Baltimore State Attorney Marilyn Mosby moved quickly Friday to charge six police officers in the death of Freddie Gray in police custody — and the justice system must play itself out, observers told Newsmax.
"I was happy to see that the prosecutor came out sooner rather than later with a statement about a tragic incident surrounded by significant clouds of suspicion," said retired pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, who has lived in Baltimore for 36 years. "It is unlikely that people who feel wronged by the system were merely going to forget about this if they felt it was being swept under the rug.
"Now, it will be up to everyone to peacefully let the legal and judicial process work, and today is a great start for the prosecutor’s actions," said Carson, who plans to announce his intentions for the 2016 Republican presidential race on Monday.
Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik praised Mosby as "strong and focused" and "extremely thorough."
However, he said, "I don't think anybody would disagree this is extremely quick. Real quick."
"Hopefully, this is not a rush to judgment," Kerik told Newsmax. "Obviously, these six are innocent until proven guilty, and we'll see what happens. This is an unfortunate event."
Former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, who once chaired the Republican National Committee, called Mosby's actions "refreshing."
"Hopefully, we'll begin to take those baby steps to rebuild confidence in the system because at the end of the day, the citizens have to have confidence in the system of law and order and that the process will play out fairly," he said.
At a news conference in which she was forceful and detailed, Mosby, 35, who was elected the city's top prosecutor four months ago, declared that the April 12 arrest of Gray, 25, by the
six officers was illegal and unjustified. Gray slipped into a coma and died the following week.
She said Gray's neck was broken because he was handcuffed, shackled, and placed head-first into a police van, where his pleas for medical attention were repeatedly ignored as he bounced around inside a small metal box.
Mosby's announcement came less than a day after receiving the Baltimore Police Department's internal review and official autopsy results. She said her decision also reflected information from an independent investigation by her own office.
The police had no reason to stop or chase Gray, she said. They falsely accused him of having an illegal switchblade when in fact it was a legal pocketknife.
The van's driver and the other officers failed to strap him down with a seat belt, a direct violation of department policy, and they ignored Gray's repeated pleas for medical attention, even rerouting the van to pick up another passenger, Mosby said.
The officers missed five opportunities to help an injured and falsely imprisoned detainee before he arrived at the police station, no longer breathing, the prosecutor said.
Along the way, "Mr. Gray suffered a severe and critical neck injury as a result of being handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained inside of the BPD wagon," Mosby concluded.
Mosby said the police review, the autopsy and her own office's investigation all pointed to homicide. The case is Mosby's first as a prosecutor.
The officers were arrested and booked Friday on felony charges ranging from assault and manslaughter, carrying prison terms of 10 years each, to second-degree "depraved heart" murder, which could put the van's driver in prison for 30 years if convicted.
But Michael Davey, an attorney hired by the Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police, insisted the officers did nothing wrong, charging that Mosby had committed "an egregious rush to judgment."
"We have grave concerns about the fairness and integrity of the prosecution of our officers," Davey said. "Let me say in no uncertain terms that … all of the officers involved at all times acted reasonably and in accordance with their training as Baltimore city police officers.
"No officers injured Mr. Gray, caused harm to Mr. Gray, and they are truly saddened by his death," he said.
Earlier Friday, FOP President Gene Ryan called on Mosby to appoint a special prosecutor because of her personal ties to William Murphy Jr., who is representing the Gray family, and her marriage to a Baltimore city councilman.
"While I have the utmost respect for you and your office, I have very deep concerns about the many conflicts of interest presented by your office conducting an investigation in this case,"
Ryan said in an open letter to Mosby.
"These conflicts include your personal and professional relations with Gray family attorney William Murphy and the lead prosecutor's connections with members of the local media," he added. "Based on several nationally televised interviews, these reporters are likely to be witnesses in any potential litigation regarding this incident."
Murphy donated $5,000 to Mosby's campaign last year and served on her transition committee,
The Baltimore Sun reports.
Ryan also expressed concerns about Mosby's marriage to City Councilman Nick Mosby.
"Most importantly, it is clear that your husband's political future will be directly impacted, for better or worse, by the outcome of your investigation," the FOP chief said. "In order to avoid any appearance of impropriety or a violation of the Professional Rules of Professional Responsibility, I ask that you appoint a special prosecutor to determine whether or not any charges should be filed."
Mosby said before her news conference that her office would prosecute the case. The decision caused widespread celebrations across the same west Baltimore streets that were smoldering from violence four days earlier, when Gray's funeral led to riots and looting.
The unrest led Republican Gov. Larry Hogan to impose a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew that continues through the weekend. Demonstrations have been held throughout the week in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and other cities.
Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat whose district encompasses the community where Gray was arrested, said he was "very pleased" with Mosby's "ability to move judiciously and swiftly to seek justice for the Gray family."
"Now that the legal process has begun, we must allow that process to run its course," he said.
In Washington, President Barack Obama offered a measured response to the developments.
"What I think the people of Baltimore want more than anything else is the truth," he said in response to a reporter's question at the White House. "That's what people around the country expect.
"Those individuals who are charged obviously are also entitled to due process and rule of law," Obama said.
Republican House Speaker John Boehner said that "public servants should not violate the law."
"If these charges are true, it's outrageous and it's unacceptable," Boehner said.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush also placed his confidence in the legal system.
"The process works, and it will go forward from here on out," Bush, who also is considering a White House run, said in Raleigh, North Carolina. "People are innocent until proven guilty."
But Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who announced his presidential candidacy this month, slammed critics for misinterpreting a glib remark he made Tuesday about the city to conservative talk-show host Laura Ingraham.
He jokingly told Ingraham that he had traveled through Baltimore by train the night of the riots and was glad the train did not stop.
"You always regret off-hand comments after you say them because people misinterpret them," Paul said Friday in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. "But I think people shouldn't misinterpret my intentions."
Meanwhile, the House Judiciary Committee will hold hearings later this month on police accountability and public safety, said Virginia Rep. Bob Goodlatte, the panel's Republican chairman, and ranking Democratic Rep. John Conyers of Michigan.
"Tragic news reports of excessive force by law enforcement and attacks on police officers have raised our nation’s conscience about how law enforcement interacts with our nation’s citizens," Goodlatte said.
The hearing will seek to develop ways that "we can work together to ensure the safety of our communities, our citizens and those charged with protecting them," he said.
In their Newsmax interviews, Steele and Kerik complimented Mosby for the manner in which she brought the charges against the officers.
Steele, who served in the Maryland House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007 and as GOP party chief for two years beginning in 2009, dismissed Mosby's expeditiousness as "a little bit of a misnomer."
"We're talking about a process that really began almost immediately after Mr. Gray's death, certainly even before that, with his apprehension," he said. "While it can on one level be viewed as quick, on another level it was probably more expedited given the nature of it."
As for Mosby's prosecutorial inexperience, "she'll be tested," Steele added.
"She was duly elected by the citizens of Baltimore. They wanted to go in a different direction, and they have," he said. "They've entrusted the justice system as a city to this woman, and I respect that and appreciate that. Let her do her job."
Kerik said of Mosby: "This appeared to be leadership that we did not see in the mayor."
He was referring to Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who had come under attack for
comments seen as imparting permission for the vandalism and property damage that ensued in Monday's protests.
"This wasn't the mayor, for sure," Kerik said. "This woman was definitely focused, determined — very strong.
"Hopefully, she didn't rush to judgment. Hopefully, she's not overcharging.
"Unfortunately, a bunch of lives are ruined here," Kerik added. "You have the six cops, and this is going to be — no matter what happens from this point forward, their lives are going to be destroyed.
"Freddie Gray's life is over, and many people in the community have suffered as a result," Kerik said. "It's had a negative impact on a bunch of people."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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