In January, Maryland Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams denied the last of multiple requests for a change of venue in the case against the six Baltimore police officers involved in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray. These requests argued the riots and violence against police which followed Gray’s death could easily bias jurors out of fear of retaliation if they found the officers not guilty.
To remedy this, Edward Nero, the first of the six officers to be tried, requested and was granted a bench trial rather than a trial by jury. Still, the defendants’ counsel argued public pressure could still potentially produce an unfair outcome for their clients.
But despite this fear, Nero was found not guilty on all charges on Tuesday.
“This is reminiscent of Trayvon Martin,” said Mary Lou Blakeney, High Point city councilperson and member of the first high-school led sit-in in the U.S. during the Civil Rights Movement. “There may not be explicit racism like there once was, but unequal access to justice may be worse — all it does is push the ugly head of prejudice underground. It allows us to create the appearance of freedom and justice when justice is not being done and freedom is not had by an entire group of citizens of this country.”
On the charge of assault, Judge Williams stated that Nero could not have been held accountable because he was not one of the officers who actually handcuffed Gray or placed him in the police vehicle.
On charges of misconduct in office and reckless endangerment, charges brought against Nero based on his alleged failure to seatbelt Gray into the police vehicle or report other officers’ failure to do so, it was decided that prosecutors had not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that officer Nero was responsible for seat-belting Gray or had knowledge of Mr. Gray’s lack of a seatbelt.
Many law enforcement officials applauded the acquittal of Mr. Nero, and hope to see the five officers who have yet to be tried receive the same verdict.
“Officer Nero is relieved that for him, this nightmare is nearing an end. Being falsely charged with a crime, and being prosecuted for reasons that have nothing to do with justice, is a horror that no person should ever have to endure,” Lt. Gene Ryan, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 3, said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, however, his relief is tempered by the fact that five other Police Officers, outstanding men and women, and good friends, must continue to fight these baseless prosecutions. None of these Officers did anything wrong.”
