Freddie Gray case: Charges against remaining officers dropped

Prosecution admitted the unlikelihood of getting convictions of the defendants

Freddie Gray died a week after being arrested, sparking protests across Baltimore (Getty)

Prosecutors have dropped all charges against the remaining three Baltimore police officers involved in the death of Freddie Gray.

It is the latest blow to campaigners and relatives of Mr Gray, who died after suffering a catastrophic spinal injury in a police van, following the failure of prosecutors to secure a single conviction in three earlier cases.

State Attorney Marilyn J Mosby delivered an impassioned statement outside the Gilmore Homes in West Baltimore, where Mr Gray was apprehended. Ms Mosby accused police officers of interfering with the investigation.

"There was a reluctance and an obvious bias that was consistently exemplified not by the entire Baltimore police department, but by individuals within the police department in every state of the investigation, which became blatantly apparent in the subsequent trials," she said.

Mr Gray's stepfather, Richard Shipley, expressed his gratitude to Ms Mosby and prosecutors and said the family stands with them.

"[Prosecutors] handled the case to their ability," Mr Shipley told reporters. "Westand behind Marilyn and her prosecuting team, and my family's proud to have them represent us."

Circuit Judge Barry G Williams acquitted Lieutenant Brian Rice, Officer Edward Nero, and Officer Caesar Goodson Jr during bench trials beginning in May. Officer William Porter’s case was declared a mistrial when it ended with a hung jury. Porter was scheduled for a retrial in September before Wednesday’s announcement.

Officer Garrett Miller, the officer who arrested Mr Gray, was supposed to begin his trial Wednesday. He was charged with second degree assault, misconduct in office, and reckless endangerment.

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The death of Freddie Gray sparked street disturbances in Baltimore last year, following a string of cases in which black men died at the hands of police.

Mr Gray, 25, was arrested on April 12, 2015. He died a week later.

Baltimore became the centre of growing protests against police brutality.

Wednesday’s acquittal could further inflame passions, with prosecutors accused of failing to hold police officers to account.

Campaigners already accuse the police department of failing to learn lessons from the case.

In June, the Baltimore Police Department introduced a new use of force policy that stresses de-escalation policies, rather than the broken windows-type policing that resulted in the arrest of Mr Gray – who was pursued after making eye contact with an officer and running. The new guidelines also list preserving the “sanctity of human life” as one of its top priorities.

However, community activists dismissed it as way for the police to save face amid national scrutiny.

“It’s just a smokescreen to those who aren’t really affected [by Baltimore Police Department culture],” prominent activist Kwame Rose previously told The Independent. “Nobody who is affected by the culture of the Baltimore Police Department will see a change in policing.”