Trial of Baltimore officer charged in man's death heads week of testimony

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[December 07, 2015]  BALTIMORE (Reuters) - The trial of a Baltimore police officer charged in the death of a young black man heads into the first full week of testimony on Monday after the court last week heard evidence the man had asked for medical help when he was in a police van.

One of the points at issue in the case of Freddie Gray, 25, who died from an injury sustained while he was in the van, is whether Gray asked police for help and his request was disregarded.

Officer William Porter, 26, is charged with involuntary manslaughter, misconduct, assault and endangerment in Gray's death in April.

The death triggered protests and rioting in the largely black city and fueled a U.S. debate on police treatment of minorities.

Gray was arrested for fleeing police and possessing a knife. He died from a spinal injury suffered in the back of a police van.

Porter is accused of failing to put Gray in a seat belt, as required by department policy, and neglecting to get medical help when he asked for it.

Defense lawyers have argued that Porter had no responsibility to strap Gray in and that Gray was known for faking illness in previous brushes with the law.

On Friday Porter said in an interview with investigators that was played in Baltimore City Circuit Court that he passed along Gray's request for help to the driver of the van and his superior.

Medical assistance was not called until the van reached a police station.

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Porter is one of three black officers charged in the case. He is the first of six officers to be tried over Gray's death.

Porter could be sentenced to more than 25 years in prison if convicted on all counts. The other officers face charges ranging from misconduct to second-degree murder.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Dan Grebler)

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