
The Latest: Murder trial for van driver wraps for the week
BALTIMORE – The Latest on the trial for the police van driver facing a second-degree murder charge in the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man whose neck was broken in the van (all times local):
4 p.m.
Testimony has wrapped up in the second day of trial for a police van driver charged with murder in the death of a man whose neck was broken in the back of the transport wagon.
Caesar Goodson is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter and other offences stemming from Freddie Gray’s death.
The state called Officer Lloyd Sobboh to testify, and showed a video of him demonstrating being placed inside a transport wagon with his hands cuffed and legs shackled as Gray was. Prosecutors also called Brandon Ross and Jamel Baker, two friends of Gray’s who witnessed Gray being placed in the wagon. Ross also took a video of Gray’s arrest.
Prosecutors say Goodson gave Gray a “rough ride” and was negligent when he failed to call for medical help. Goodson’s attorneys say the officer drove carefully, and did nothing wrong.
Trial will resume Monday.
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Noon:
A medical examiner who did the autopsy on a 25-year-old black man who died in police custody last year has testified that she never believed his death was an accident.
Dr. Carol Allan testified Friday in the trial of Officer Caesar Goodson, who faces second-degree murder and other charges in the death of Freddie Gray. Gray died a week after his neck was broken in the back of Goodson’s police wagon. Goodson is black.
Allan ruled Gray’s death a homicide.
Goodson’s attorney said Allan told an investigator that Gray’s death was a “freakish accident” before meeting with prosecutors and changing her mind.
But Allan testified that “the word accident never crossed my lips.”
Prosecutors say Goodson gave Gray a “rough ride,” intending to injure him. Goodson’s attorneys say the officer did nothing wrong.
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10:30 a.m.
In the second day of a Baltimore police van driver’s murder trial, prosecutors have called to the witness stand a doctor who did an autopsy on a man who died after his neck was broken in the back of the van.
Officer Caesar Goodson is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter and other offences stemming from Freddie Gray’s death. Gray died April 19, a week after his spine was snapped in Goodson’s van.
The state on Friday called its eighth witness, assistant medical examiner Carol Allan, who ruled Gray’s death a homicide.
Prosecutors say Goodson gave Gray a “rough ride” and failed to call for medical help. Goodson’s attorneys say Goodson did nothing wrong and followed orders.
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5 a.m.
Prosecutors will call more witnesses to the stand to try and prove that a police van driver committed second-degree murder when he allegedly took a 25-year-old black man, who was handcuffed and shackled, for a “rough ride.”
Officer Caesar Goodson’s trial in the death of Freddie Gray began Thursday.
Gray died April 19, 2015, a week after his neck was broken in Goodson’s wagon.
Prosecutors say Goodson intentionally meant to hurt Gray by not buckling him into a seat belt and speeding, running a stop sign and making a sharp turn.
Goodson’s defence attorneys say the rough ride never happened and that Gray’s injuries were self-inflicted when the man stood up inside a moving vehicle.
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