Let there be justice

The Freddie Gray case has put a spotlight on police practices in Baltimore. His death in police custody seems to have been the last straw for many residents.

An indication of why residents are so distressed can be found in the investigations the city’s daily newspaper, The Baltimore Sun, has conducted on police brutality.

Like many, we are shocked by the newspaper’s finding that the City of Baltimore quietly paid out $5.7 million since 2011 to settle lawsuits claiming police officers savagely assaulted, battered and even killed people during questionable arrests. That was on top of $5.8 million the city spent to defend itself.

We know that Richmond residents would not tolerate such police brutality.

Maybe it took a rebellion, albeit brief, to send a message that this kind of police misconduct is unacceptable.

Certainly, and thankfully, that message has been heard loud and clear by Baltimore officials.

One person who has heard it is the mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who this week publicly welcomed the U.S. Department of Justice into the city and gave the federal agency carte blanche to look into the police department and to recommend changes.

As it turns out, she and Police Commissioner Anthony Batts had rolled out the welcome mat to the Justice Department last October. At that time, they requested a Justice Department investigation as part of their efforts to reform the Baltimore Police Department and end its reputation for brutality.

Another who has heard the clarion call is Marilyn Mosby, the newly elected chief prosecutor for the city. We, like many, are impressed that this scion of a police family has boldly brought charges against six police officers connected with Mr. Gray’s arrest and subsequent death.

We also are impressed that she stated that she had heard the cry of “No Justice, No Peace” issued by the demonstrators and that she is working to deliver justice on behalf of Mr. Gray.

We hope her office’s prosecution will remain focused on that key issue: Seeking justice.

Already police union officials and supporters have expressed offense and outrage about her decision to hold the officers accountable with criminal charges. They claim they had probable cause to arrest Mr. Gray because he had an illegal knife clipped to the inside of his pants. Ms. Mosby has stated the pocket knife was a legal type and that the officers, thus, had no reason to arrest him for possessing it.

But the knife issue is in many ways a red herring, a tangent.

According to Ms. Mosby’s public statement of the charges, the police officers responsible for him after his arrest failed to transport him safely or to heed his pleas for medical assistance.

Mr. Gray’s arrest — legal or illegal — should not have been a death sentence. Killing handcuffed and subdued prisoners deliberately or accidentally cannot be condoned.

Let us keep our eye on the main issue.

What Baltimore and all of us need to see is that justice is done in this case.