Baltimore police officer Edward Nero, charged with assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment in the death of Freddie Gray, was found not guilty of all charges Monday morning.
Gray, 30, had opted for a bench trial rather than face a jury.
Gray, 25, died in the hospital just a week after his arrest at the hands of six officers on April 12, 2015, suffering a fatal spinal cord injury while held in police custody. The circumstances of his death caught the attention of a public and the media alike, with demonstrations and protests escalating to riots after Gray's burial, leading to the destruction of several commercial structures and the presence of the Maryland National Guard.
The incident touched off unrest because Gray was unarmed and black; three of the charged officers are white, while three are black.
"Whatever may be Judge Barry Williams' decision with respect to Officer Nero's role in the death of Mr. Freddie Gray, that verdict will have as much legitimacy as our society and our justice system can provide," Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings said last week.
"I join the mothers, the fathers, the children ... of Baltimore asking not only for peace but respect for the rule of law."
Nero was the second of six Baltimore cops to stand trial in the death of Gray. William Porter's trial ended in a hung jury and mistrial in December.
Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., who drove the van used to transport Gray, will be the next to go on trial on June 6. His trial will be followed by Lt. Brian Rice's on July 5, Officer Garrett Miller on July 27, Officer William Porter on Sept. 6 and Sgt. Alicia White on Oct. 13.
