Baltimore police officer Edward Nero, one of Freddie Gray’s arresting officers, was found not guilty on all counts by Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams on Monday.Nero, 30, was accused of four misdemeanor charges of second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and two counts of misconduct in office. Prosecutors argued Nero arrested Gray without probable cause and displayed negligence by not buckling his seatbelt in the arrest vehicle, while the defense stated that it was the driver’s responsibility to buckle Gray’s seatbelt. Judge Williams declared there were “no credible facts” to prove Nero played a direct role in Gray’s death and that other testimonies revealed Nero’s role was minimal due to his training. According to the Baltimore Sun, After the verdict was read, Nero wiped the tears from his eyes and hugged his lawyers as well as other Baltimore police officers who attended the trial. Gray, a 25-year-old black man, died on April 19, 2015, one week after his neck was broken while being transported in an arrest vehicle. His death was met with outrage from activist groups in Baltimore and around the country and added to the increased tension regarding the treatment of African Americans by police officers. In a statement from Nero’s attorney, Marc Zayon, he said, “Officer Nero remains a proud member of the Baltimore Police Department and looks forward to serving the City and the people of Baltimore.” After the verdict was declared, the crowd outside the courthouse chanted, “No justice, no peace. Jail to the police.”
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