Officer William Porter trial: Freddie Gray case live coverage
Thanks for following our coverage of the trial of William Porter. We'll resume coverage on this live blog when new developments in the case occur.
A mistrial was declared Wednesday in the trial of Baltimore Police Officer William G. Porter, after jurors told Judge Barry G. Williams they could not reach a verdict on any of the four charges. Officer Porter is one of six Baltimore Police officers charged in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray. Updates from the courthouse are from Kevin Rector, Ian Duncan and Justin Fenton, unless otherwise noted.
Full coverage: Freddie Gray trials | Charges, timeline | Key people | Timeline | Newsletter
Full coverage: Freddie Gray trials | Charges, timeline | Key people | Timeline | Newsletter
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DAY THREE
After months of focus on all 6 officers, focus has narrowed since separation of trials. Officer William G. Porter's trial began with opening statements Wednesday morning after a 12-person jury was seated.
The jury: A panel of five black women, three black men, three white women and one white male was chosen after two days of questioning of 150 potential jurors. Additionally, three white men and one black man were chosen as alternates.
What happened today: A jury was selected, opening statements by prosecution and defense, and one witness was called to the stand -
Links to Wednesday's trial coverage: -
Prosecution's opening statements
- Prosecutors told jurors at the opening for the first trial in the death of Freddie Gray that Baltimore police Officer William G. Porter "criminally neglected his duty" to help Gray by failing to seatbelt him or call for help when it was clear Gray was seriously hurt.
- Deputy State's Attorney Michael Schatzow said Porter had been trained to seatbelt arrestees inside of the back of police transport vans, but loaded Gray inside without using any of five available seat belts.
- Prosecutors detailed the route of the van to support their opening statements, as well as Freddie Gray's injuries.
- Schatzow told the jurors that Porter ignored several chances to help Gray, being involved at five of six stops the transport van made on its way to Central Booking.
- Schatzow emphasized that Gray was not seriously injured at that time, saying video shows him lifting his head as he is on the ground handcuffed, and bearing weight as he climbed into the van
Defense opening statements
- Defense attorney Gary Proctor said his client was suspicious of Gray showing "jailitis," or feigning injury to avoid going to jail. Porter saw no obvious reasons to request a medic for Gray, Proctor said. Porter checked on Freddie Gray because he was concerned but saw no outward signs of injury that would have required calling a medic.
- Porter knew Gray from previous interactions, including an incident a few weeks before Gray's arrest in which he had been taken into custody and attempted to kick the windows out of a squad car.
- Proctor painted the Baltimore Police Department as a poorly trained, supervised and staffed agency where rules were advisory but routinely not followed.
- Proctor said Porter was a good cop with no record of misconduct, who was born and raised in West Baltimore, wanted to help his community and showed discretion on the streets. -
The first witness in the trial of William G. Porter, the first of six Baltimore police officers to be tried in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray, was also a city cop – called by the state to testify about the medical training that Porter received while in the department’s academy.
Officer Alice Carson Johnson told the court that she trained Porter at the academy in 2013 on protocols for officers responding to medical situations as part of the state-approved Law Enforcement Emergency Medical Care Course curriculum.
The reason for putting Carson Johnson on the stand seemed to be for the state to establish that Porter had received specific training on responding to medical situations. The defense’s response, through cross-examination, focused on officers using their discretion to assess the medical needs of a person.
Deputy State’s Attorney Janice Bledsoe asked Carson Johnson to outline the training Porter received for responding to medical situations, such as when a person says, “I can’t breathe,” or when a person specifically requests a medic. In both situations, Carson Johnson said she teaches that officers should call for a medic.
The prosecution has alleged Gray told Porter that he couldn’t breathe, and that he asked for a medic.
On cross examination, defense attorney Joseph Murtha stressed parts of the training that tell officers to use their discretion to assess a situation. He asked Carson Johnson whether circumstances surrounding a person’s request for assistance – such as the person running for an extended period of time before saying they were having trouble breathing – should be considered. She said such circumstances can be part of an officer’s assessment of an individual’s needs.
The defense has said Gray never told Porter he couldn’t breathe. The police department has previously said that Gray asked for an inhaler shortly after his initial arrest, after running from police officers.
Murtha asked Carson Johnson, an 18-year veteran of the Baltimore force who used to work patrol in the Southeastern District, if anyone had ever “misrepresented the facts and lied to you” about a medical emergency. “Many a times,” she said.
--Kevin Rector -
If someone asked for medic, though, then what, prosecution asked? Call medic, trainer said.by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 9:27:36 PM -
Defense earlier said Gray just asked for help up. Asked trainer if medic called to get someone "unstuck" in van. She said no, would help upby Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 9:26:45 PM
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State pushed her on point that if someone says "I can't breathe," you call medic. Defense stressed instructions for officer discretion.by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 9:15:15 PM
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Just broke for the day after first state witness: BPD training academy instructor who trained Porter on medical responses in academy.by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 9:13:34 PM
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- Defense attorney Gary Proctor said his client was suspicious of Gray showing "jailitis," or feigning injury to avoid going to jail. Porter saw no obvious reasons to request a medic for Gray, Proctor said. Porter checked on Freddie Gray because he was concerned but saw no outward signs of injury that would have required calling a medic.- Porter knew Gray from previous interactions, including an incident a few weeks before Gray's arrest in which he had been taken into custody and attempted to kick the windows out of a squad car.- Proctor painted the Baltimore Police Department as a poorly trained, supervised and staffed agency where rules were advisory but routinely not followed.- Proctor said Porter was a good cop with no record of misconduct, who was born and raised in West Baltimore, wanted to help his community and showed discretion on the streets.
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Defense: Porter "should not be held responsible for simply checking on the young black man during a police van ride"
A defense attorney for one of six police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray says his client should not be held responsible for simply checking on the young black man during a police van ride.Defense attorney Gary Proctor said during opening statements Wednesday that when Gray began requesting aid “he showed no signs of needing medical attention because he hadn't suffered the injury yet.”
Prosecutors say Gray died after his neck was broken in the back of a police van. They also say he should've been buckled into a seatbelt and that Officer William Porter is criminally responsible for failing to render aid.
Proctor characterized Porter as a man born and raised in West Baltimore who became a police officer “not to swing a big stick, but to help people.”
He told the jury that they “may hope finding him guilty will quell unrest,” but that Porter committed no crime. - AP
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Defense details Officer William G. Porter's previous interactions with Freddie GrayDefense attorney Gary Proctor said Porter knew Gray from previous interactions, including an incident a few weeks before Gray's arrest in which he had been taken into custody and attempted to kick the windows out of a squad car.
"It was always a scene when you tried to arrest Freddie Gray," Porter told investigators.
For that reason, Porter was suspicious of Gray showing "jailitis," or feigning injury to avoid going to jail. He saw no obvious reasons to request a medic for Gray, Proctor said.
"Mr. Gray's death was a tragedy. So is charging someone who did nothing to precipitate it," Proctor said.
Proctor said jurors may "yearn to hold someone accountable" for Gray's death. -
Defense: "Let's show Baltimore the whole damn system is not guilty as hell"Defense attorney Gary Proctor painted the Baltimore Police Department as a poorly trained, supervised and staffed agency where rules were advisory but routinely not followed. Proctor said a police officer will be called as a witness to testify that he had made 2,000 arrests and had seatbelted only a handful of those detainees.
"The state seems to think it's this well-oiled machine," Proctor said.
But Proctor said Porter was a good cop with no record of misconduct, who was born and raised in West Baltimore and wanted to help his community. He said Porter showed discretion on the streets.
He refrained from writing citizens tickets for open containers because he knew few could pay, but he wrote them up for loitering in an effort to get them off corners and home safe.
"That's the kind of officer he is," Proctor said. -
Defense ends opening statement with "Let's show Baltimore the whole damn system is not guilty as hell." bsun.md/1PnInpC #PorterTrialby baltimoresun via twitter retweeted by justin_fenton 12/2/2015 8:16:12 PM -
Proctor's opening stood out for claiming probs across department. Short staffing; no seatbelting; letting minor crimes off to avoid ER fakesby Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:49:29 PM
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His closing line, that has everyone here talking, was: "Let's show Baltimore the whole damn system is not guilty as hell"by Justin Fenton via twitter 12/2/2015 7:44:55 PM -
Porter believed Gray had an "adrenaline drop" after acting out in back of the van; officers trained to seek medic "when necessary"by Justin Fenton via twitter 12/2/2015 7:43:45 PM
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Proctor said Porter knew Gray, believed he had a penchant for not going quietly to jail. Said he had no outward injuriesby Justin Fenton via twitter 12/2/2015 7:41:24 PM
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Proctor's opening statements are concluded. Short break.by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:40:39 PM
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Defense attorney Gary Proctor painted the Baltimore Police Dept as poorly trained, supervised, & staffed, rules routinely not followedby Justin Fenton via twitter 12/2/2015 7:40:06 PM
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Proctor echoes protest chant in closing, saying "let's show Baltimore the whole damn system is not guilty as hell."by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:39:51 PM
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Police caught and arrested Gray in the 1700 block of Presbury Street. Police said Gray stopped voluntarily and they did not use any force. An officer took out his Taser but did not use it, police said. “That has been verified by downloading the information on the Taser and also by the physical evidence on Mr. Gray’s body,” Deputy Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez said.
Still from a citizen video of Baltimore Police taking a man believed to be Freddie Gray into custody in the Gilmor Homes area on April 12. -
Defense for Porter approaches jury as basically hostile."You may yearn to hold someone accountable, but facts dont bend to ur predilections"by Justin Fenton via twitter 12/2/2015 7:39:03 PM
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Proctor: Porter thought Gray was just "having an adrenaline bump," was upset.by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:38:55 PM
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Proctor: Porter was acting like a good cop. "He wasn't indifferent to [Gray's] plight, he asked him what he needed."by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:37:11 PM
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Proctor: Porter asks Gray if he needs medic, uninitiated by Gray. Gray: yes. Porter tells that to Goodson; but Gray wasn't showing symptomsby Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:35:44 PM
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The day it all began: 8:39 a.m.
Four officers on bicycles attempted to stop Freddie Gray and another man , who ran after seeing police at the intersection of W North Avenue and N. Mount Street on April 12, 2015. “A lieutenant begins pursuing Mr. Gray after making eye contact with two individuals, one of which is Mr. Gray,” Deputy Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez said.
More about the day Freddie Gray was arrested
Surveillance footage shows a man running through West Baltimore's Gilmor Homes complex on the morning of April 12, when Freddie Gray sustained a fatal spine injury while in police custody.
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Proctor: As Porter lifted Gray's upper body, Gray used own feet to push himself up, which couldn't have done if already severe neck inj.by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:33:40 PM
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Proctor: Gray never said he couldn't breathe at stop where Porter helped him up, just asked to be helped up.by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:32:36 PM
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Proctor: People familiar w/ police know if fake injury cops will let them go if small infraction, like knife Gray had, esp if short staffedby Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:32:01 PM
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Proctor: Trips to ER take all day, and Porter thought Gray was faking, because he was know for "jailitis."by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:30:32 PM
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Proctor: That day, shift supposed to have 2 wagons, 2 sgts, 15 officers, but had 1 wagon, 1 sgt, 8 officers. "Short staffed."by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:29:20 PM
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No, the trial of Officer Porter is not on TV. Or anywhere. Other than the text of the Internet. live.baltimoresun.com/Event/Officer_…by Kalani via twitter 12/2/2015 7:27:15 PM -
Proctor: Porter has never fired his weapon. His departmental record has no use of force incidents.by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:17:22 PM
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"He didn't become a police officer to swing a big stick," Proctor said of Porter, but bc "he felt he could help people."by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:16:40 PM
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Proctor: Porter "grew up in the same streets where all this happened," wanted to join military but couldn't because he's colorblind.by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:15:16 PM
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Recap of prosecution's opening statements
- Prosecutors told jurors at the opening for the first trial in the death of Freddie Gray that Baltimore police Officer William G. Porter "criminally neglected his duty" to help Gray by failing to seatbelt him or call for help when it was clear Gray was seriously hurt.
- Deputy State's Attorney Michael Schatzow said Porter had been trained to seatbelt arrestees inside of the back of police transport vans, but loaded Gray inside without using any of five available seat belts.- Prosecutors detailed the route of van to support their opening statements, as well as Freddie Gray's injuries.
- Schatzow told the jurors that Porter ignored several chances to help Gray, being involved at five of six stops the transport van made on its way to Central Booking.
- Schatzow emphasized that Gray was not seriously injured at that time, saying video shows him lifting his head as he is on the ground handcuffed, and bearing weight as he climbed into the van -
Proctor: Porter didn't know seat belt rule, and "you can't hold him accountable for what nobody did."by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:14:19 PM
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Who is Officer William G. PorterLike Freddie Gray, Baltimore police officer William Porter is a 25-year-old who grew up in the city. But while Gray's life in Sandtown-Winchester on the west side was marked by a number of arrests, Porter was a straight-arrow east-sider who became a cop and who still lives with his parents near Loyola University Maryland.On April 12, however, the two men's paths crossed at Dolphin Street and Druid Hill Avenue in Gray's part of town. That's where Porter met the police van carrying Gray and helped the driver check on his passenger. Now Porter is among the six officers facing charges in Gray's death.Court records show that Porter has no criminal record. He has worked for the Baltimore Police Department since 2012 and was earning a yearly salary of $44,104 — until he and the other officers were placed on unpaid leave. -
Proctor: Before #FreddieGray incident, no BPD cops seat belted people in vans. Cop w 2000 arrests can count seat belted times on 1 hand.by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:13:34 PM
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"You may hope that finding him guilty will quell further unrest," but facts don't support guilt, Proctor says.by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:12:06 PM
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Proctor starts opening statements for Porter. Says Porter has been on force 2 years and is a good cop.by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 7:11:12 PM
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Sketch of #FreddieGray media waiting for court to begin this morning in trial of officer Porter http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CVOg-91U4AAyeld.jpg
by Arthur Lien via twitter 12/2/2015 7:06:03 PM -
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We're supposed to be back in court at 1:45, when defense will be up with their opening statements.by Kevin Rector via twitter 12/2/2015 6:29:39 PM