Baltimore, MD – Onlookers cheered and expressed amazement as State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby declared Freddie Gray’s death a homicide, arrest illegal, and his treatment in custody amounted to murder and manslaughter , which few expected so quickly.
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Whoops, cheers and shouts of “Justice!” erupted on the steps of the War Memorial Building, and in the streets of Baltimore, which has faced nearly two weeks of growing anger over Gray’s death. Mosby announced the charges one day after receiving the results of the internal police investigation and the autopsy report. As she spoke, the city braced for huge protests Friday and Saturday.
At the corner of Pennsylvania and North avenues, where the worst of the rioting took place on Monday, drivers honked their horns. When buses stopped in front of the subway station, people spilled out cheering as the doors opened.
There was no large gathering at the intersection immediately after the announcement, though: Nearly 100 police in riot gear were deployed, and for the moment, they had nothing to do.
Ciara Ford, of Baltimore, expressed surprise at the decision to prosecute.
“I’m ecstatic,” she said. “I hope this can restore some peace.”
“It makes you cry,” said her friend, Stephanie Owens of Columbia.
“If we had kept quiet, I don’t think they would have prosecuted,” Ford said.
Community activist Ted Sutton surveyed the joyous scene with amazement. “You don’t see people chanting. What you see is people celebrating,” Sutton said.
The charges, and Mosby’s detailed explanation of what happened, are a first step toward transparency, he said.
“She took the time to critique the evidence,” Sutton said, noting that the officers faced different charges specific to their actual alleged misconduct. “To have each person charged with what they actually did . to have it come out this quick — this is something else.”
He shuddered to think what the intersection would have looked like if she had announced that no charges would be filed.
“We wouldn’t want to imagine what was going to happen right here,” he said.
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some rabbi – takes off his kippah to salute ?? talis Friday afternoon ???
Three cheers to rabb Shapiro you are a piece maker and a go getter. For this day however hallel without a beracha according to most poshkim but it your call. Hatzlochha
Next time:
I want the protesters to wave guns and rifles in public to protest police brutality (and now, homicide by the police).
It is their G-d given right and constitutionally protected.
that church in the middle looks like an abandoned shul, nebach this is what diversity has brought us.
I think that this guy is a nut and only wanted his 15 minutes of fame, but that’s only my opinion. But could someone please tell me why he is wearing a talis?
While I was in high school, Baltimore broke out in riots. I remember seeing uniformed people ( I think it was the National Guard) outside my house as we lived in a mixed neighborhood while Ner Yisroel was on Garrison Blvd. I have a few topics to remark on: #1 Do these rioters really believe that the destruction of their community brought about this indictment? #2 are they proud of themselves that they made their neighborhood worse than it already was? #3 I don’t know who this Rabbi Shapiro is, but what was the point of the Tallis? The fact that he is happy about the arrests of these police officers–well, he’s entitled to his opinion (I happen to agree with it, unless we hear more details ) but a Tallis? Explain. Have a wonderful Shabbos. A peaceful one.
what else do you want
What a goofball this Schapiro is.
Nuts,
Now that they got what they wanted, can they please return the all of the liquor, sneakers and diapers?
Was this Schapiro guy also one of the looters?
Shame on this FAKE Jew!
I know Rabbi Shapiro for many years. His sincerity is unquestionable. He is a talmid chochom. He is an excellent Rabbi who has done a tremendous amount for his shul and the Baltimore community. Kol Hakavod.