A Baltimore cop "criminally neglected his duty” to help suspect Freddie Gray, who died in police custody a week after his arrest, a prosecutor told jurors Monday.
Gray’s death from injuries he suffered following his April arrest touched off days of unrest in Baltimore, and put his case at the forefront of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Gray, a 25-year-old black man, died from a spinal injury he suffered while riding in the back of a police transport van. Prosecutors said cops loaded Gray in the van without using any of five available seat belts.
Six police officers were indicted in connection with the death, including William Porter, 26, whose case is the first to go to trial.
Porter is also black.
He faces charges of involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment. He's accused of failing to render aid after Gray asked for medical assistance.