NEW YORK
All six police officers involved in the death of an unarmed black man who suffered injuries while in police custody in Baltimore were indicted Thursday, the city's top prosecutor said.
Baltimore State Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced the charges returned by a grand jury, which are similar to initial charges filed May 1 in the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray.
Gray's April 19 death was caused by severe spinal injuries he suffered while in police custody.
His death sparked mass demonstrations in Maryland’s largest city, as well as in New York, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and Oakland, California.
Lt. Brian Rice; Sgt. Alicia White; Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr; Officer Edward M. Nero; Officer Garrett E. Miller; and Officer William G. Porter are due to be arraigned July 2.
She said the grand jury affirmed the charge of second-degree depraved-heart murder against Officer Goodson Jr, who was driving the van transporting Gray following his allegedly violent arrest.
Videos of Gray's arrest recorded by bystanders and posted to the Internet show him being carried by officers into a police van in pain and apparently with limited use of his legs.
A string of police-involved killings of black suspects including Michael Brown in Missouri, Eric Garner in New York and Freddie Gray in Baltimore has often made national headlines during the past year.
The incidents have stirred racial tensions, setting off nationwide protests over perceived injustices within the U.S. justice system.
