On April 12, Gray was detained by police at a known spot for drug dealing, on a street in the west side of Baltimore, and placed in a police van. When the van arrived at the police station it was discovered that Gray was suffering from a severe spinal injury and could not talk. He was hospitalized and died a week later, on April 19.
In the first of two major protests on Wednesday, a group of activists marched in the Baltimore streets, causing traffic disruptions. They passed by the hospital where Freddie Gray died, finishing their march in front of Baltimore’s City Hall, according to Time magazine.
Another protest was held outside the Western District police station, having started at the intersection where Gray was detained. Hundreds of demonstrators pushed against a police cordon. Verbal abuse and bottles were thrown at police officers, resulting in the detention of at least three protesters. The protest was attended by members of Gray’s family, the Baltimore Sun reported on Wednesday.
"At some point enough is enough, and it's getting to a boiling point and I fear for the worst,” one of the activists explained the crowd's anger to ABC2 News.
Local police reacted to the protests with an update on the investigation, issued on Wednesday.
“All of the involved officers remain suspended with pay. Investigators have met with the involved officers. Five of six officers provided a statement to investigators,” Baltimore Police Department said in a press release.
According to the police, the investigation will be turned over for review to the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office on May 1.
Earlier, the police officers involved in the accident denied using any force against Gray during or after the arrest. However, at least two videos recorded by witnesses show Gray being dragged to the police van and screaming in pain.
The US Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that the agency will open an investigation into Gray’s death to determine whether any prosecutable civil rights violation occurred.
Gray's arrest and death sparked numerous protests in Baltimore. Over the weekend, people took to the streets to protest police brutality and racial profiling in demonstrations similar to those seen in Ferguson, St. Louis, following the death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown who was killed by white police officer Darren Wilson in August 2014.
However, Baltimore authorities insist that the recent tragedy must not be compared to what happened in Ferguson.
According to the Killed By Police website, Gray was the 348th person killed by US police or who died while in police custody since the beginning of 2015.
