The defense began its case Wednesday morning in the trial of Baltimore police Officer William Porter, one of six officers charged in the April death of Freddie Gray.
Porter’s attorneys called a forensic pathologist as its first witness. The new phase comes a day after the prosecution rested a weeklong case in the death of Gray, who authorities say broke his neck while being transported in a police van, shackled but not wearing a seat belt.
Prosecutors allege that Porter, summoned by the driver to check on Gray during a stop on the way to a police station, did not immediately call for a medic when Gray asked for help. They also allege that Porter, after seeing that Gray was not buckled in, did not get him into a seat belt as was department policy.
“This defendant did nothing to get him a medic or get him to the hospital. He did nothing when he could have saved a man’s life,” State’s Attorney Michael Schatzow said in court Tuesday.
Gray’s death a week after the injury sparked outrage and demonstrations, some of which were plagued by arson, vandalism and looting, despite his family’s pleas for peace.
Porter has pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.
Gray’s April 12 arrest in Baltimore was captured in bystander videos. Prosecutors say Porter, 26, was present for all but one of six stops on Gray’s 45-minute ride to the Western Division police station.
It remains unclear exactly how Gray was injured, but Dr. Carol Allan, the assistant state medical examiner, testified Monday that Gray probably received his neck injury between the van’s second and fourth stops.
Although there is conflicting testimony about when, witnesses say Gray complained at least once of being unable to breathe. He asked Porter for medical assistance when the officer checked on him at the fourth stop, according to Allan’s testimony and Porter’s interview with department investigators. Allan said Gray probably was injured when the van stopped suddenly.
The delay in getting Gray medical attention led Allan to classify Gray’s death as a homicide.
“If he had gotten prompt medical attention, it would not have been a homicide,” she stated, adding that Gray probably would have survived if van driver Caesar Goodson had rushed him straight to a hospital when he told Porter “I can’t breathe.”
Jury selection began on November 30, and the state called its first witness two days later. The Porter case is expected to end by December 17.