Freddie Gray death in custody: Family of 25-year-old who died after being detained by police appeal for calm as riots break out in Baltimore

Spokespersons for family say violence is disrespectful to memory of young man

The family of Freddie Gray, the young man whose death in police custody was the purported trigger for Monday’s rioting, have appealed for calm and peace, saying the violence was disrespectful to his memory.

“I am asking everybody to go home. We have been saying ‘no protests today’. It is disrespectful to the family,” Jamal Bryant, a pastor who delivered a powerful eulogy at the funeral of Mr Gray, told reporters.

“This does not represent the Gray family or the last seven days of peaceful protests.”

He added: “It is disappointing just a few hours after putting Gray to rest. This is not what the family asked for today of all days. This was a day of sacred closure.”

Mr Gray died on April April 19, a week after he was taken into custody by officers. Police said he had fled from officers in a high-crime area.

He was carrying a knife, and he was put inside a transport van to be taken to a police station. The family said that after he was placed in the van he suffered a broken spine.

Six officers have been suspended and a series of investigations have been ordered to try and determine what happened.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who was sworn in on Monday, discussed the situation in Baltimore on her first day at the White House.

“We can restore trust and faith both in our laws and in those of us who enforce them,” she said.