So, apparently, in the judge’s world, Freddie Gray broke his own spine given that he acquitted Lt. Brian Rice of charges connected to his death.
In his verdict, Williams said the failure to seat belt a detainee in a transport wagon is not inherently a crime, adding that the state failed to prove both that Rice was aware of his duty to seat belt Gray, and that he intentionally failed in that duty.
"The state failed to show that the defendant, even if he was aware of the risk, consciously disregarded that risk,'' the judge said.
The judge’s remarks show that the failure goes higher up, and that it was not just Lt. Rice and his fellow officers who were responsible. There was a policy in place that defendants be fastened in seat belts, but apparently, that policy was never properly communicated.
Williams also said the state failed to show that Rice was aware of an updated policy that requires officers to buckle in prisoners. As a result, Williams said he operated under the impression that Rice was guided by a previous policy that allows for officer discretion when deciding when to belt.
Freddie Gray goes far beyond whether these officers were legally guilty or not.
Rice attorney Michael Belsky said officers had concerns, because Gray was not cooperative and they weren't sure what onlookers would do if extra time was taken to fasten Gray in the van.
Given the fact that this all took place as the officers were being accosted, it shows that public confidence in police there was already at a low point and that Freddie Gray was simply the final straw. Like Ferguson, the Freddie Gray case shows massive institutional failures by the City of Baltimore to instill public confidence in its police officers. This was not an individual failure; this was a systemic failure.