The police officer who faces the most serious charge in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray heads to court this week as prosecutors continue to seek a victory in the high-profile case that set off demonstrations and riots in Baltimore.
The third trial in the case will focus on what responsibility Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., 46, had for Gray the day he sustained a fatal neck injury in the back of a police van. Goodson was the van’s driver.
Prosecutors allege that Goodson is responsible for Gray’s death because he failed to buckle the 25-year-old inside the vehicle or get him medical help. They argue Goodson acted recklessly and callously, “despite Mr. Gray’s obvious and recognized need for medical assistance.”
Goodson’s attorneys counter that their client acted as any reasonable officer would that April day last year and that “the failure of a police officer to seatbelt (a)detainee cannot alone constitute a criminally reckless omission.”
Goodson, one of six offices charged in the case, is the only one to face a murder charge. The count against him – second-degree depraved-heart murder – carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison.
Prosecutors will have to prove that Goodson’s actions or lack of actions created a very high risk to Gray’s life and that despite being aware of such risks, Goodson acted “with extreme disregard of the life-endangering consequences.”
Two officers have gone to trial so far. One was acquitted; the other case ended in mistrial.
Gray was arrested in his West Baltimore neighborhood on April 12, 2015, after making eye contact with police and running away. Police chased and detained Gray and put him in the back of a police van that made a series of stops on the way to central booking.
An autopsy report said Gray suffered a broken neck in the back of the van. The medical examiner concluded that it occurred when Gray stood up in the vehicle with shackled arms and legs and could not break his fall during an abrupt turn or stop.
One week after sustaining his severe injury, Gray died, fueling national tension over the deaths of young black men in police custody.
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