Protestors began rioting in Baltimore, the largest city in the American state of Maryland, starting April 27, 2015, in reaction to the April 19 death of Freddie Gray.
Gray, a 25-year-old African-American resident of the city, died in police custody a week after being arrested. Apparently in good health at the time of his arrest, Gray later sustained injuries to his spine and larynx.
The riots stem from the death of Gray. He was arrested on April 12 in Baltimore and suffered a life-threatening spinal cord injury while in police custody.
The cause and circumstances of his injuries have not been officially determined. Gray fell into a coma on April 12, and despite multiple surgical attempts, he never regained consciousness and died a week later.
He died in a Baltimore hospital on April 19. Police continue to investigate how Gray sustained the injuries, including the events that transpired during a 45-minute ride that he spent in a police transport van.
Police stopped Gray after he fled “unprovoked upon noticing police presence,” Officer Garrett Miller wrote in a police report.
Miller said police arrested Gray after they found a knife clipped to his pants pocket. William Murphy, lawyer for the Gray family, says police had no right to pursue and detain Gray.
Police have acknowledged there were issues with Gray’s arrest and that officers did not keep Gray seat-belted into the van.
Six police officers have been suspended pending an investigation.
Peaceful protests were organized after his death, and apparently spontaneous protests started after the funeral service, although they eventually became marred with civil unrest and violence.
As of April 28, at least twenty police officers have been injured, at least 250 people have been arrested, thousands of police and National Guard troops have been deployed, and a state of emergency was declared in the city of Baltimore.[1]
Social media was alive with “#purge” before and during the mayhem, an apparent allusion to the film The Purge, which featured a 12-hour period in which any crime was legal.
On Monday, Baltimore police implored parents to take control of their children who might be taking part in the rioting.
