When news broke that Freddie Gray had died in a police van, lots of people assumed it was proof of police brutality. While that’s still a possibility, it’s also possible that something else happened. This Washington Post article suggests that it’s best to wait for what the forensic reports say.
BALTIMORE — A prisoner sharing a police transport van with Freddie Gray told investigators that he could hear Gray “banging against the walls” of the vehicle and believed that he “was intentionally trying to injure himself,” according to a police document obtained by The Washington Post.
The prisoner, who is currently in jail, was separated from Gray by a metal partition and could not see him. His statement is contained in an application for a search warrant, which is sealed by the court. The Post was given the document under the condition that the prisoner not be named because the person who provided it feared for the inmate’s safety.
The document, written by a Baltimore police investigator, offers the first glimpse of what might have happened inside the van. It is not clear whether any additional evidence backs up the prisoner’s version, which is just one piece of a much larger probe.
While this information is dramatic, it still isn’t indisputable proof of anything. Still, it’s a cautionary reminder that it’s best not to jump to conclusions. It’s a reminder that what isn’t known immediately might have a significant impact on finding out what actually happened.
Ferguson erupted in violence because race hustlers like Al Sharpton jumped to conclusions. While Sharpton didn’t make any incendiary public accusations, Sharpton’s Ferguson accusations set the stage for Baltimore. They essentially said that it’s ok to jump to conclusions. Sharpton’s accusations said that we didn’t need to find out the whole truth.
The best thing to do is to wait for the forensic findings. Forensic reports don’t have a political agenda. They’ll either confirm or dispute the testimony given once this goes to a grand jury. Forensic evidence, not political agendas, should rule the day.
During the riots, stores were looted and people were injured. Worse, black business owners lost their businesses. These despicable things happened because thugs vented rather than find out what actually happened.
That’s the definition of a tragedy.
Same old same old. Rumors fly and a certain segment of the population believes that police injustices give them the right to destroy anything and everything in their path.
I’m sure glad that this country elected a minority president so race relations were improved.