A Baltimore judge found Officer Edward Nero not guilty on all four of the charges he faced in connection with the death of Freddie Gray, reports ABC News.
Gray died after suffering a spinal injury while in police custody, which ignited several days of violent protest.
During the case, prosecutors argued that Nero had no regard for Gray’s safety and was reckless by ignoring policing rules when he failed to place a seat belt on Gray, who was placed on his stomach in shackles in the back of a police transport vehicle. Congressman Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, said he would like to see seat belts in every police van moving forward.
… Defense attorney Marc Zayon said that his client's actions were completely legal and protected by the law, and that the state’s case against Nero is “nonsensical.”
… Public officials, including Cummings, called for peace and respect for the rule of law following the verdict.
Nero is the second police officer involved in Gray's death to face trial. The first trial, that of William G. Porter, ended in a mistrial.
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