|
 Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams on Monday told
the roughly 75 potential jurors that opening statements in the trial
of Officer William Porter would take place as soon as Tuesday or
Wednesday.
The death of Freddie Gray, 25, in April followed police killings of
black men in other cities, including New York and Ferguson,
Missouri. The killings gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement,
which has staged more than year of mostly peaceful protests across
the United States.
Porter, 26, faces charges including manslaughter, second-degree
assault and misconduct in office. Gray died from a spinal injury
suffered in the back of a police van after he was taken into custody
for fleeing an officer and possessing a knife.
 Porter, who is black, is accused of ignoring Gray's requests for
medical aid and not putting a seatbelt on the shackled and
handcuffed detainee. He could face more than 25 years in prison if
convicted of all charges.
Baltimore officials imposed a curfew and called in National Guard
troops to quell rioting and arson that followed Gray's death.
Under the judge's questioning, all the jurors said they were aware
of the Gray case, the unrest that followed and the $6.4 million
Baltimore paid to Gray's family in a civil settlement.
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About half the jury pool is black. The jury will have 12 members and
a number of alternates, who will remain anonymous.
The other five officers are charged with offenses ranging from
second-degree murder to misconduct.
(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Dan Grebler)
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