'Do not give them a reason': Baltimore man divides police and rioters in hope of avoiding violence

He created a one-man barrier between protesters and officers

(@ACFromDaBranch)

One man in Baltimore yesterday had seen enough black men die as a result of contact with the police in the US over the past year to stand by and let another tragedy unfold.

"Do not give them a reason" he repeatedly bellowed, standing, arms spread wide, between a line of officers in riot gear and a group of angry protestors approaching them.

Just as a side note – that t-shirt he's wearing bears the emblem of violent vigilante comic book antihero The Punisher, a little ironic given his message of pacifism.

They not showing this on the news #BaltimoreRiots https://t.co/ZRS1Vvvco2

— AC (@ACFromDaBranch) April 27, 2015

Riots broke out in the city just hours after the funeral of Freddie Gray, who died of a severe spinal cord injury while in police custody.

Grey's family denounced the violence, which saw stores looted and vehicles burned.

"I don't think that's for Freddie," Gray's twin sister, Fredericka, added of the riots. "I think the violence is wrong."