Freddie Gray: US Justice Department launches civil-rights investigation for man who died in custody of Baltimore police

The man’s relatives say his spine was “80 per cent severed” at the neck

The US Justice Department has starting investigating the death of a man who died while in custody of Baltimore police to see if it needs to bring civil-rights charges, the Associated Press reported.

Freddie Gray, a 27-year-old black man, was arrested on 12 April by Baltimore police and died just days later, after he had fallen into a coma. The Baltimore police department has said it did nothing wrong.

The preliminary autopsy said that Mr Gray died of a spinal injury. His family claims his spine was “80 per cent severed” at the neck.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has promised a full investigation into the man’s injury and death, but the Justice Department has decided to conduct its own investigation.

“The Department of Justice has been monitoring the developments in Baltimore, regarding the death of Freddie Gray,” spokeswoman Dena Iverson said in a statement. “Based on preliminary information, the Department of Justice has officially opened this matter and is gathering information to determine whether any prosecutable civil rights violation occurred.”

It is not immediately clear why Mr Gray was arrested, but authorities say he ran after noticing police presence.

Police have said that his injuries were sustained while he was being transported by van to the police station and that they are not a result of excessive force by officers.

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