Officer Found Not Guilty in the Freddie Gray Case

A second police officer involved in the death of Freddie Gray has been acquitted of all charges today. Caesar Goodson Jr., who drove the van during the "rough ride" that led to Gray's death, was found not guilty of what were the most serious charges against the six officers involved.

Gray died in April 2015 as the result of a spinal cord injury. After police arrested him for fleeing "unprovoked upon noticing police presence" and possessing a switchblade, Gray was transported in a van for 40 minutes without being properly buckled in, and his neck was broken; Gray died a week later after suffering the fatal injury. Circuit Judge Barry Williams ruled that Goodson was not guilty on all charges, including second-degree "depraved heart murder," three counts of manslaughter, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and misconduct in office. The judge stated that the prosecution's case lacked significant evidence to convict Goodson.

Gray's death prompted citywide protests and rioting in Baltimore last April.