The Latest: Arrested protester: Curfew law very egregious
By The Associated Press, Associated Press
May 3, 2015 12:14 AM CDT
A man is loaded into an ambulance after getting arrested and hit with pepper spray as police enforced a 10 p.m. curfew, Saturday, May 2, 2015, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/David Goldman)   (Associated Press)

12:00 a.m.

A woman with her hands in cuffs as she was being put into a police van told the media she was being arrested for a "very egregious curfew law. If they're doing this to me, they're going to do it to you." She said she had been part of the protests and had been waiting on the street for her sister to pick her up.

Police also arrested a man who had been shouting obscenities. He was being put into a police van in front of the media pen, shouting he was being locked up for nothing and police had broken his glasses.

A community activist asked a police lieutenant to get the man put into the van quickly as he was in front of the media. The lieutenant said the man has to be searched and "he's got to get a seat belt."

People have been protesting the death of Freddie Gray, a black man who suffered injuries while in police custody and later died.

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11:00 p.m.

The six Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray have been released on bonds of between $250,000 and $350,000, but one person charged in the protests over Gray's death is still sitting in jail, his bail set at $500,000.

Natalie Finegar Deputy District Public Defender, said there was a $500,000 bail set for 18-year-old Allen Bullock, who was captured on film allegedly using a traffic cone to vandalize an unmarked police car and later turned himself in to police. Others charged in the violence that broke out in the city had lower bails, but some were still tens of thousands of dollars, Finegar said. At least some demonstrators were given no bail.

Both Finegar and Warren Brown, a veteran Baltimore defense attorney, said the commissioners and judges that determine bail in the city vary widely in the bail they set, and there's no fixed amount or range for certain crimes, though there are some crimes for which no bail is possible. Still, both attorneys said that generally if someone is charged with a crime that involves the death of another person, as all the officers were, they aren't allowed out on bail.

Brown said, "For the average citizen there would be no bail." She explained that a variety of factors are supposed to go into a determination of whether bail will be set and, if so, what amount. Those factors include the nature of the crime and the defendant's record as well as the likelihood the person will return to court and the likelihood they will re-offend if let out.

Still, in at least one other recent high-profile case involving a death, there was a bail set. Heather Cook, an Episcopal bishop who was accused of fatally striking a bicyclist last September while driving drunk in the city, had her bail set at $2.5 million.

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10:30 p.m.

As the 10 p.m. curfew went into effect police have detained one man at Pennsylvania and North avenues, the site of a riot and looting earlier this week. The handcuffed man had been pepper-sprayed and police were pouring water into the man's eyes to try to ease the effects of the spray. Police have called for a medic.

Baltimore Police officers are also standing in front of the media pen, discharging pepper spray to keep protesters back.

A woman was also detained and handcuffed with plastic ties, but was not in any visible distress.

The curfew was put in place after violent protests sparked by the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died after being injured while in police custody.

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10:00 p.m.

Among the conversations Saturday evening at the Penn-North intersection that has been a focal point of the Freddie Gray arrest: a Baltimore police sergeant surrounded by protesters, talking about the challenges in the community.

Sgt. K. Glanville, with the police community partnership division, said "We need to start learning how to talk to each other."

Granville acknowledged to the crowd around her that residents "gave an issue with how they feel some officers treat them, and it's valid."

She also said city neighborhoods don't get credit for good news in the community that goes overlooked, like school robotics teams competing in world-class events.

Protesters in the crowd stopped to shake her hand and give hugs during the give and take.

One woman said appreciatively to Glanville, "You don't talk like the other officers."

Gray died last month from injuries he received while in police custody.

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9:30 p.m.

Gov. Larry Hogan has called for a statewide "Day Of Prayer And Peace" on Sunday after civil unrest rocked Baltimore.

Hogan's office said in a news release that he will attend a service at 10:45 a.m. service at St. Peter Claver Parish on Fremont Street with Archbishop William E. Lori.

Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford will attend a service at noon at Southern Baptist Church on North Chester Street.

The city of Baltimore is trying to find a sense of normalcy after the death of Freddie Gray. The 25-year-old black man died after being in police custody last month.

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9 p.m.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland has written to Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, calling on her to end the curfew in the city, put in place after violent protests sparked by the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died after being injured while in police custody.

Deborah Jeon, legal director of the ACLU of Maryland, wrote in the letter that a number of residents have expressed concerns that authorities are "arbitrarily and selectively" enforcing the curfew, which goes into place at 10 p.m.

"These actions raise serious constitutional concerns and needlessly engender the same kind of hostility and tension that have led to the breakdown of community/police relations in our city," Jeon wrote.

She says reported incidents of discord in the last two days all seem to have one thing in common: "large numbers of fully-armed police officers appearing at a peaceful scene and turning citizen gatherings into scenes of flight, arrest, and chaos."

She says the curfew "has clearly become a source of resentment and frustration among Baltimore residents" and "is serving as nothing more than a tool for curtailing the First Amendment rights of peaceful demonstrators, legal observers, and the news media."

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8:15 p.m.

Police Commissioner Anthony Batts held a short news conference Saturday evening on the case of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who was injured while in police custody.

Batts said, "Peace and calm is always better than violence. My hope is that we work toward a new level of partnership in all parts of our community. As we move forward, it is important that we do not lose sight of what brought us here. Many families remain in pain tonight: the Gray family, the family of all the officers involved, families across Baltimore. ...The case is in the hands of the state's attorney. ... the truth will come out. The truth will overcome."

On the charges against the police officers Batts said, "I think, like the state attorney says, this not an indictment on all the police officers within the organization."

He added, "I cannot have a tolerance for any misconduct at any time."

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8:00 p.m.

Some people renewed calls Saturday to end a 10 p.m. curfew in the city, established after lootings and unrest Monday. The curfew is currently set to be in place through Sunday night.

The Peoples Power Assembly raised the issue Friday and again Saturday, saying the curfew needed to end and the National Guard should leave the city.

Some restaurant and bar owners have also chafed against the restrictions, particularly in light of Saturday's scheduled pay-per-view boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, which would have been a draw for some establishments. The fight is set for midnight Saturday, Eastern time.

Malik Shabazz, the president of Black Lawyers for Justice and one of the organizers of a Saturday march to City Hall that drew hundreds, called on officials to lift the curfew Saturday night.

Shabazz said, "Nobody out here is going to go out here and start any violence because they're waiting on the trial. They have gotten some justice. This curfew is oppressive. This curfew needs to be lifted tonight."

While the city has been largely peaceful since the curfew was established, there have been arrests of demonstrators, including Friday night at City Hall and in the Penn North neighborhood near where Freddie Gray was arrested.

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6:30 p.m.

More than 1,000 marchers arrived a little before 6 p.m. Saturday at the corner of North and Pennsylvania avenues, the scene of Monday's looting and rioting after the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died after being seriously injured while in police custody last month.

A few dozen protesters climbed onto the roof of a nearby subway station. A police helicopter flying overhead ordered protesters down, and they complied after a group of officers walked over.

Saturday night's Mayweather-Pacquiao fight was on the minds of a few marchers. One protester walked through the crowd wearing boxing gloves, while another carried a sign: "THIS is the fight of the century."

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2:40 p.m.

Maryland's governor is urging participants in Saturday's protests in Baltimore to keep demonstrations peaceful and nonviolent.

The city has been shaken by protests — including some that turned violent — since the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray last month. Gray died after being injured while in police custody.

Gov. Larry Hogan says he hopes to see the continuation of the four days of calm in the city that followed Monday's violence.

Hogan said in a statement that the "right to demonstrate is a fundamental part of our society, but damaging property or putting innocent bystanders in danger will not be tolerated."

Hogan thanked the Maryland National Guard, the Maryland State Police and local police from outside Baltimore for helping to keep the peace.

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1 p.m.

The six Baltimore police officers charged in Freddie Gray's death are scheduled to appear in court at the end of the month.

Lt. Brian Rice, Sgt. Alicia White, and officers Caesar Goodson, Garrett Miller, Edward Nero and William Porter have a preliminary hearing together on May 27 in Baltimore District Court, according to online court records.

If the judge finds there is probable cause to support the charges, the case will move to circuit court to begin preparations for trial.

Defendants can, and often do, waive preliminary hearings and the case is transferred to circuit court. Also, a prosecutor can seek an indictment from a grand jury, which would make a preliminary hearing unnecessary.

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12:30 p.m.

Demonstrators hold a moment of silence at the intersection of Pennsylvania and North avenues in Baltimore for Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died after being seriously injured while in police custody last month.

The moment of silence comes as Baltimore braces for a mass demonstration and rally in memory of Gray.

Six police officers were charged Friday with felonies ranging from assault to murder in Gray's death. In announcing the charges, State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said police had no reason to stop or chase Gray in the first place when they confronted him on April 12. He died of injuries on April 19.

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11:45 a.m.

Heavily armed police and National Guard troops are making a show of force at key intersections and government buildings in Baltimore in preparation for Saturday's mass protest marches.

Barricades have been erected to block vehicle traffic from the blocks around City Hall, the destination of the largest planned march. Armored military vehicles were parked at the checkpoints, and there were large numbers of police and troops donning body armor, many carrying assault rifles.

The marches were called earlier this week to protest the death of Freddie Gray, a black man injured while in police custody April 12. But after the arrest of six Baltimore police officers in the case on Friday, the mood of Saturday's marches are expected to be more celebratory than tense.

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Midnight

Police spokesman Sgt. Jarron Jackson says there were 38 protest-related arrests and 15 curfew-violation arrests Friday night. Demonstrators took to the streets Friday to celebrate the announcement that six police officers were being charged in the death of Freddie Gray, who died of a spinal injury received while in police custody earlier this month.

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11:30 p.m.

A group of about 15 protesters marched through the downtown streets chanting "No justice, no peace" — to nobody in particular.

Police vans and armored National Guard vehicles drove by the group, but took no action, despite the protesters' clear defiance of a 10 p.m. curfew.

Just after 11:30 p.m., the group was debating what to do next, and then four or five ran to catch a bus as soon as they saw one.

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10:45 p.m.

A line of National Guard troops and tanks is at Baltimore City Hall, along with a large crowd of members of the media and a line of police wearing helmets and carrying body shields.

Mounted police are also guarding the area and police vans are on the scene.

There did not appear to be any protesters left, other than a handful being interviewed by reporters about what they saw when officers moved in after 10 p.m. Friday and arrested a few people while others scattered and dispersed.

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10:30 p.m.

Live television coverage of the remains of a protest at City Hall just after the 10 p.m. curfew went into effect showed a line of police, carrying shields, move in and take several people away.

In a series of tweets, Baltimore police said the protesters remained at War Memorial Plaza "in violation of the curfew," had been warned and that officers were arresting protesters who refused to leave.

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10:10 p.m.

A more jubilant crowd was gathered at the Pennsylvania and North avenues intersection in West Baltimore as the 10 p.m. curfew approached.

More than 100 people were dancing in the streets Friday night and chanting "Freddie" to celebrate charges against six officers in connection with Freddie Gray's death.

Meanwhile, a helicopter was hovering overhead and warning people that they were subject to arrest while people danced atop a truck in the middle of the intersection.

Pleas from police to reporters to confine themselves to a special media pen were largely ignored.

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9:20 p.m.

Court records indicate that the six Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray have been released on bonds of between $250,000 and $350,000.

The six had turned themselves in at the city jail Friday afternoon after the city's chief prosecutor announced the charges against them.

State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby says Gray's death was a homicide, his arrest was illegal and his treatment amounted to murder and manslaughter.

An attorney speaking on behalf of the officers says the charges are a rush to judgment.

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8:45 p.m.

Court records indicate that all six Baltimore police officers charged in Freddie Gray's death have posted bond, and five have been released. The sixth officer, Sgt. Alicia White, had not yet been released.

One officer faces a second-degree murder charge. The other officers face manslaughter or assault charges, among others.

Gray died one week after suffering a spinal cord injury in police custody.

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8 p.m.

A rally weaving its way through Baltimore may eclipse all the other protest marches this week.

More than 1,000 people began at the Inner Harbor tourist district and made their way to the city jail to seek amnesty for protesters previously arrested.

From there, the marchers wound through city streets to the site of Monday's rioting, then through the neighborhood where Freddie Gray was arrested and at last count was making its way to western district police headquarters.

The group seemed to make its mind as it went, sometimes switching direction and backing up when a majority took a new turn.

Protesters marched at least two hours nonstop and more than 7 miles, stretching multiple blocks.

Nearly universally, people stuck in traffic beeped horns and waved support to marchers, celebrating charges against six officers in connection with Gray's death.

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7:40 p.m.

Online court records list the race of three of the officers charged in the Freddie Gray case as black and list the three others in the broad category of "white, Caucasian, Asiatic Indian, Arab" without specifying.

Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr., Officer William G. Porter and Sgt. Alicia D. White are listed as black. Lt. Brian W. Rice, Officer Garrett E. Miller and Officer Edward M. Nero are listed in the other category.

Goodson is the driver of the vehicle that transported Gray and faces the most serious charges. He allegedly repeatedly failed to secure Gray using a seat belt as required by police, Baltimore's top prosecutor said Friday, adding that Gray suffered a severe neck injury while handcuffed, shackled and unsecured in the van.

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7:30 p.m.

On the day that six police officers were charged in the death of Freddie Gray after his arrest, one east Baltimore police sergeant has warned superiors that "it is about to get ugly."

Sgt. Lennardo Bailey wrote in a letter to command staff in the city's eastern district that officers are being challenged on the street. In the letter obtained by The Associated Press, Bailey says he was challenged to a fight on three of five calls he responded to Friday. The letter was first reported by the website Buzzfeed.

"Some of them I blew off, but one of them almost got ugly," he said.

Police officials declined to comment and Bailey could not be reached for comment.

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 3 President Gene Ryan declined to comment on the report but says the decision to charge the officers will make their job harder. Ryan promised officers that the organization would continue working diligently to ensure they have support to complete their missions safely.

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6:10 p.m.

Baltimore court records show the six police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray have had their initial bail review.

Bail was set at $350,000 for three officers and $250,000 for the other three. One of the officers faces a second-degree murder charge and four face involuntary manslaughter charges. The most severe charge for the other two is assault.

The bail proceedings are not open to the public under Maryland law.

The records do not indicate that the officers have yet posted bail.

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5:10 p.m.

The stepfather of Freddie Gray says the family is satisfied with prosecutors charging six police officers involved in Gray's arrest.

Richard Shipley said at a news conference Friday that the charges were the first step in getting justice for Gray, who prosecutors say died after suffering a critical spine injury in the back of a police wagon.

An attorney for the Gray family says people must be mindful that the charges are a first step, not the last.

State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby says Gray's death was a homicide, his arrest was illegal and his treatment amounted to murder and manslaughter.

An attorney speaking on behalf of the officers says the charges are a rush to judgment.

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