UPDATE, Sept. 10., 11:20 a.m.: Judge Barry Williams ruled on Thursday that the trial for six officers involved in the April death of Freddie Gray will be held in Baltimore for now, despite a defense motion to move the trial out of the city.
Freddie Gray trials to stay in Baltimore, for now. Judge says need to inquire whether potential jurors can be fair, impartial— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) September 10, 2015
Baltimore residents have demanded that the officers be tried in the same city where they allegedly committed their crimes, though the defense has said officers won't receive a fair trial there.
Gray, a 25-year-old black man, died of a spinal injury after he was hauled into the back of a Baltimore Police Department van in April. He was arrested for fleeing officers after supposedly making eye contact.
The six officers are charged with an array of crimes that vary in terms of severity. One is charged with second-degree depraved heart murder, a type of second-degree murder in Maryland courts, while all are charged with second-degree assault.
Baltimore residents protested against police conduct for weeks after Gray's death. Though the vast majority of the protests were peaceful, residents rioted on the night of Gray's funeral.
The larger protests receded after Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby unexpectedly announced charges against the officers on May 1, but smaller ones have popped up intermittently since then.
Demonstrators were outside the courthouse on Sept. 2 in Baltimore at the start of pretrial proceedings, and are out again on Thursday.
This trial stays here. pic.twitter.com/GQhj5eXiz9— Kwame Rose (@kwamerose) September 10, 2015
Prominent Baltimore activist Kwame Rose was arrested during protests last week after he says he was hit by a passing car. He also recorded what appears to be the first arrest of Thursday's protests.
First arrest. pic.twitter.com/JCD7GOEB6O— Kwame Rose (@kwamerose) September 10, 2015
Judge Williams has chastised both the defense and prosecution at the beginning of the pretrial hearings, demanding that the two sides stop making what he considered inflammatory statements.