Baltimore Under State of Emergency as Riots Break Out

[cupper]

Mods' wasn't sure if this was the right place to post or not, feel free to relocate.

Looks like this could well be more of the norm unless issues of perceived racial biases are addressed.

FYI, for background, a black individual was arrested after running form police, and subsequently died of injuries received at some period between apprehension and delivery to the emergency room. There was a 6 hour delay in getting him to the hospital. 6 officers involved have been placed on paid suspension pending the outcome of the investigation.

Relations between Police and the African American community in Baltimore was at an all time low before this incident occurred.

Amid Riots, Maryland Governor Will Deploy National Guard To Baltimore

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/04/27/402639082/seven-officers-hurt-in-clashes-with-baltimore-police

A day of mourning gave way to an evening of riots and looting in Baltimore on Monday, where Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and moved to deploy the National Guard.

Just hours after Freddie Gray's funeral, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets, burning police cars, looting stores and facing off with police. Television images showed those demonstrators throwing rocks, bricks and bottles at a line of police officers in riot gear.

In a press conference, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said there was a big difference between what is happening today and the peaceful protests that have taken place over the past week.

"Too many people have spent generations building up this city for it to be destroyed by thugs, who in a very senseless way are trying to tear down what so many have fought for," Rawlings-Blake said.

The mayor has instituted a curfew that begins at 10 p.m. ET. tomorrow and goes until 5 a.m. ET. That curfew will be in place for one week.

Images from a television helicopter showed some demonstrators destroying a police vehicle. They showed others looting a CVS pharmacy, a Rite-Aid and small shops. What started as a confrontation between perhaps a hundred protesters and riot police quickly turned into a melee covering multiple neighborhoods in the city.

Capt. Eric Kowalczyk said seven officers had been hurt in the clashes. Some suffered broken bones and one of them, said Kowalczyk, is unresponsive.

"This is not OK," said Kowalczyk. "We will find these people who are responsible and we will put them in jail."

As we reported, protesters have taken to Baltimore streets to demand justice for Gray, who suffered a fatal spine injury while he was in police custody. An investigation is still ongoing.

Gray's funeral was held less than a mile from one of the protest sites.

Update at 7:51 p.m. ET. Looters At Mondawmin Mall:

Police say that they have received reports that "several people are inside Mondawmin Mall looting and destroying property."

Television images showed a group of people streaming into the mall

Update at 7:06 p.m. ET. A State Of Emergency:

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has declared a state of emergency. and has activated the National Guard to "address the growing violence and unrest in Baltimore City."

Hogan will hold a press conference at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Update at 6:45 'Just A Struggle':

Mo Jackson, a 22-year-old protester, tells NPR that the protest he joined was peaceful.

But police officers, he said, shot paint balls at them and in retaliation they threw rocks.

He said this anger has been building for decades.

"This has just been a struggle," Jackson said. "Every year, cops kill innocent people. Cops lock you up. It's oppression.

He said he came out to protest because this is the first time that the national spotlight has been on Baltimore.

"This is not the place you want to raise your kid at this moment in time," he said. "Because you feel like when you grow up they are going through the same thing you go through.... we don't have nothing out here."

Update at 6:26 p.m. ET. Orioles Game Postponed:

A major league baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox has been postponed because of the violence.

Update at 6:22 p.m. ET. National Guard On Alert:

In a statement, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said the violence seen today "will not be tolerated," so he has put the state's National Guard on alert.

"I strongly condemn the actions of the offenders who are engaged in direct attacks against innocent civilians, businesses and law enforcement officers," Hogan said. "There is a significant difference between protesting and violence and those committing these acts will be prosecuted under the fullest extent of the law."

Update at 5:44 p.m. ET. Threat From Gangs:

Earlier today, Baltimore police issued press release saying they had received a "credible threat" against their officers.

According to the release, "various gangs including the Black Guerilla Family, Bloods, and Crips have entered into a partnership to 'take out' law enforcement officers."

Update at 5:36 p.m. ET. 'Bring Your Children Home':

The Baltimore Sun reports that violent protests today began near Mondawmin Mall in Baltimore. According to the paper, a widely circulated flier previewed a demonstration modeled after "The Purge," a film about "what would happen if all laws were suspended."

On Twitter, police said that a large number of "juveniles" were involved in the melee, so they were asking parents to "bring your children home."

Update at 5:22 p.m. ET. 'Not What Baltimore Stands For':

Rev. Jamal Bryant, a religious leader in Baltimore, said the violent protests are "not what Baltimore stands for."

"It's disappointing," he said. And it's "not what the family asked for" at Gray's funeral.

They wanted today to be about "sacred closure," he added, and it has instead turned into a day of violence.

"Violence is never the answer for justice," Bryant said.

Update at 4:58 p.m. ET. Cars On Fire:

Helicopter images from WBAL-TV showed one police car on fire.

Baltimore Police said they were "deploying resources to ensure everyone remains safe."

 

[cupper]

More on background on the precipitating incident:

Baltimore Police Promise Full Investigation Into Man's Death After Arrest

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/04/20/401110943/baltimore-police-promise-full-investigation-into-mans-death-after-arrest

Officials in Baltimore, Md., say they will thoroughly investigate the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died after he was arrested by Baltimore Police more than a week ago.

The case has added fuel to the national debate about use of force by police. In Baltimore, demonstrators have taken to the streets demanding answers and an end to what they called police brutality against black men.

Today, Deputy Police Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake held a press conference to offer a few details that resulted in a lot more questions.

As CNN reports, both officials said they were still trying to figure what exactly happened in the incident. Two things, however, are clear: Gray was chased by police and then handcuffed and, while talking and conscious, he was put into a police vehicle.

That part of the narrative is corroborated by cellphone video taken by a person on the street:

An autopsy showed that Gray suffered no wounds but a spinal cord injury killed him. As The Baltimore Sun reports, officers insist that Gray was arrested without the use of force and that he suffered a "medical emergency" during transport.

CNN reports:

"'What we don't know, and what we need to get to, is how that injury occurred,' Rodriguez said.
"The Baltimore Police Department is investigating the death, and has asked for calm as the process unfolds. But many in the community, including the city's mayor, are angry.

"'This is a very, very tense time for Baltimore City, and I understand the community's frustration. I understand it because I'm frustrated. I'm angry that we are here again — that we have had to tell another mother that their child is dead,' Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake told reporters. 'I'm frustrated not only that we're here, but we don't have all of the answers.'"

The New York Times reports that another issue in question here is whether police took too long to call for medical help.

The Times reports:

"The police commissioner, Anthony Batts, said officers had been slow to recognize that Mr. Gray needed medical attention. Even before being placed into a police van, a scene that was captured on videos taken by bystanders, Mr. Gray had said he needed his inhaler, according to the police, which he did not have with him.

"'We should have probably asked for paramedics' sooner, the commissioner said.

"Mr. Rodriguez said that when Mr. Gray was put into the van, he was talking and breathing, and 'acting irately,' according to the van driver, but that when he was taken out about 40 minutes later, he could not talk or breathe. The videos appear to show officers dragging Mr. Gray to the van, raising questions about whether he had already suffered the spinal injury. Mr. Rodriguez conceded that investigators do not know whether it occurred on the ride to the police station, or before."

Baltimore Police: Freddie Gray Should've Gotten Medical Help At Scene Of Arrest

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/04/24/402046909/baltimore-police-freddie-gray-shouldve-gotten-medical-help-at-scene-of-arrest

Police officials in Baltimore admitted that their officers should have provided medical attention immediately following the arrest of Freddie Gray.

Instead, Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said during a press conference, police officers put handcuffed Gray and put him in the back of a police van without ever buckling him in.

The van went on to make three different stops across town. At the first, Gray was shackeled, but at no point said Commissioner Anthony Batts was Gray ever buckled into the van.

As we've reported, at some point on that day Gray suffered a fatal spine injury. His death has sparked city-wide demonstrations, demanding an end to police brutality.

When Batts was asked if Gray had suffered the spine injury because of a rough ride in the van, Batts said that they have not yet concluded their investigation. They are still unsure how Batts was injured.

Earlier today, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said the police department would turn over its findings to the state attorney. Rawlings-Blake demanded answers, but she also called on her city to be patient.

"In order to have justice and not just seek justice, the investigation needs to follow procedures," she said. "We have to be able to follow up on leads and they have to be as thorough as possible."

Batts admitted that Baltimore — and especially its police department — have many challenges. But he rejected calls for his resignation, saying he has been a "reform commissioner."

Since he took on the position, he said, he has fired 50 employees, dropped officer-involved shooting incidents by 40 percent and has instituted new training regimes.

At the end of 2014, The Baltimore Sun released an investigation that found that over the course of about four years, Baltimore paid out $5.7 million to settle suits with more than 100 people who alleged police officers used excessive force.

 

[Retired AF Guy]

The Daily Mail has a good article with lots of photos of the rioting.