The Baltimore City Council cemented the interim appointment of Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, who got the job after the mayor fired Anthony Batts amid an upsurge in violent crime following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody.
The vote happened Monday evening, according to Lester Davis, deputy chief of staff for the city council president.
A council committee last week endorsed Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s request to allow Davis to serve out the remainder of Batts’ contract, which expires in 2020.
In September, Rawlings-Blake called Davis “a cop’s cop” and said he “understands that you have to push for reform in a way that is respectful of the officer, but also the position,” according to CNN affiliate WBAL in Baltimore.
The former chief of the Anne Arundel County, Maryland, police department, Davis joined the department in 2014 as deputy commissioner.
At the time, the city’s police union said in a report that unrest following Gray’s death was preventable and fueled by the “passive stance” adopted by Batts and top commanders.
Blake fired Batts in July following such criticism of his leadership during the protests and a subsequent uptick in violent crime.
Gray died from injuries suffered while in police custody. An autopsy found he suffered a severe spinal cord injury after he was not properly belted into a seat in the back of the van.
Six police officers were ultimately charged in Gray’s death after investigators concluded they had contributed to his death, including the driver of a police van transporting Gray to jail.
Following Gray’s death, the city experienced several days of protests, including a spasm of looting, arson and violence the night after Gray’s funeral.
