The trial for Officer William Porter continued this morning, entering its second week in the proceedings following Freddie Gray's death. Assistant state medical examiner Dr. Carol Allan gave a testimony in which she said she would not have classified Gray's death as a homicide if medical help had been requested after Porter's first contact with Gray, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Porter is currently facing charges of involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment for his part in Gray's death, according to the Baltimore Sun. Gray was arrested April 12 and then pushed into the back of a police van with his feet and hands restrained and without a seat belt, according to the Guardian. Gray later died of a spinal injury.
Allan said she would not have ruled the death as a homicide if Porter had called for medical assistance when he found Gray injured on the floor of the van, as reported by Reuters. This has been challenged at length by defense attorney Joseph Murtha, with Murtha accusing Allan of not keeping to the National Association of Medical Examiner's definition of homicide as a "volitional act," according to the Washington Post.
After Murtha implied that Allan should have ruled Gray's death an accident, he was told by Judge Barry Williams that he would be cited for contempt of court if he continued to insert his opinions into his line of questioning, according to the Baltimore Sun.
The makeup of the jury also changed today, as a medical emergency reportedly led to one juror, a black woman, being replaced by a male alternate juror, according to NBC Washington.
Porter is the first of of six officers on trial for Gray's death and stands to be sentenced to more than 25 years in prison if convicted, as reported by Reuters. Williams claims the trial will conclude by Dec. 17, according to the Baltimore Sun.
