Three of the six police officers currently facing charges related to the death of Freddie Gray are pleading that they gave initial statements while under duress. They claim that their duress was caused by their fear of being fired.
According to court documents, two of the officers thought they were being questioned as witnesses, not suspects. The third officer claimed that her statement was given without her having been properly read her Miranda rights.
Attorneys for the officers are trying to have the statements the officers gave thrown out and barred from being offered as evidence.
A total of six officers currently face charges for the death of Freddie Gray.
Freddie Gray died after suffering a spinal cord injury while in police custody. The injury occurred while he was riding in a police van. Protests and riots erupted across the city of Baltimore following news of Gray’s death. The National Guard was called in to calm the situation. The Justice Department is currently investigating the police department’s practices for possible systemic civil-rights violations.
