Rep. Elijah Cummings, whose district includes the city of Baltimore, expressed hope and confidence Thursday that the justice system will ultimately render a guilty verdict in the case of one of the officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray.
The jury in the case against William Porter, one of the six officers charged in connection with Gray’s death in police custody, could not reach a unanimous decision in his case. Porter had been charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office.
The judge declared it a mistrial.
“The wheels of justice did begin to turn here in Baltimore,” Cummings, a Democrat, said on CNN’s “New Day,” pointing to the fact that Porter was getting what Cummings deemed a fair trial, with a diverse jury of his peers attempting to decide his fate.
Prosecutors will now consider whether, how and when to retry Porter in connection with Gray’s death.
“The outcome of the justice system may not be fast but hopefully it is fair,” Cummings said. “When you ask for justice, it’s not just based on a verdict and a decision that you want. It’s about a process that is fair.”
Cummings also pointed to the fact that the city of Baltimore remained “relatively calm” Wednesday evening after the judge in Porter’s case declared a hung jury. Some in the city peacefully protested the decision, but the uproar was a far cry from the unrest and rioting that marred the city for months after Gray’s death in police custody sparked public outrage.
Gray, a 25-year-old black man, sustained a neck injury while in police custody last spring.
Prosecutors alleged that Porter, one of the officers who checked on Gray as he was transported in a police van, failed to secure Gray with a seatbelt and should have called for a medic to assist Gray much sooner.
Five other officers are still set to stand trial in connection with Gray’s death.