Crime & Safety

Five Officers in Freddie Gray Case Seek Suppression of Statements: Report

All but one of the six officers facing charges in Baltimore man's death claim legal process was not followed, according to reports.

Five of the six officers charged in the case of Freddie Gray have reportedly asked that the statements they provided to police be discarded in court proceedings about the 25-year-old Baltimore man’s death.

Lt. Brian Rice, Sgt. Alicia White and Officers Caesar Goodson, William Porter, Edward Nero, Garrett Miller are facing various charges, from misconduct in office to second-degree murder, in after Gray died in police custody April 19.

Goodson is the only one who has not filed for his statements to be suppressed in court, according to CBS News, which reports he also was the only officer show declined to provide a statement in the initial phase of the investigation.

Find out what's happening in North Baltimorefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

According to the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights in Maryland, police under interrogation have 10 days to seek counsel before providing a statement.

However, some of the officers reportedly said they didn’t know they were being interrogated.

Find out what's happening in North Baltimorefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

White claimed that she was not read her Miranda rights before questioning and then was brought back five days later and read her rights, at which point she was ordered to give another statement, according to the Associated Press.

Officers said they were under the impression they were witnesses—not suspects—and believed “any refusal to cooperate in the investigation would result in their termination” by the department, according to court documents obtained by The Baltimore Sun.

Lawyers for Rice, White, Porter, Nero and Miller have filed claims that their clients were improperly informed of their rights before providing statements and as such, these should not be admitted into evidence at trial, The Baltimore Sun reported.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from North Baltimore