(CNN) — The charges came down like a thunderous clap. No one was expecting it.
More stunning than the murder charges were the confidence and detail with which Marilyn J. Mosby, state’s attorney for the city of Baltimore, laid out her homicide case Friday against the six police officers who will be charged, arrested and tried in the death of Freddie Gray. Gray, 25, died April 19 from a fatal spine injury while in police custody. Among the charges: second-degree depraved heart murder, manslaughter and assault in the second degree.
Mosby came out swinging for justice: “People of Baltimore and demonstrators across America, I heard your calls for justice.” And then she sent a loud message to the nation: “My administration is committed to creating a fair and equitable justice system for all … no matter what your occupation, your age, your race, your color or your creed.” She was telling citizens: Your life matters; the justice system that we’ve lost faith in can indeed work.
She outlined her case in shocking detail, asserting that she has probable cause to arrest these officers, but the officers had zero probable cause to pursue and arrest Gray. The knife Gray carried wasn’t a switchblade; it was legal. His multiple requests for medical help during multiple stops went completely ignored. He was never secured in the van and was even seen lying unresponsive. By the time he got to the police station he wasn’t breathing and was in cardiac arrest.