The city of Baltimore expects to reimburse other local police and fire agencies from across Maryland a total of $1.8 million for responding to the civil unrest that followed the death of Freddie Gray last spring, a city spokesman said Thursday.
The tally includes both requests that have been paid and those still under review, Howard Libit said in an email. He said he expects all the requests to be paid.
The requests are for overtime, equipment costs and other expenses claimed by about 30 public agencies and volunteer fire companies in 16 of Maryland’s 23 counties.
The Anne Arundel County Police Department submitted the biggest request, about $426,000. Department spokesman Lt. Ryan Frashure told The Capital newspaper the request hasn’t been paid yet.
Other large requests came from Howard County Emergency Management, nearly $374,000; the Montgomery County Police Department, about $296,000; and Baltimore County Emergency Management, nearly $258,000.
Parts of Baltimore burned amid rioting and looting after the April 19 death of Freddie Gray, a black man whose neck was broken while he rode, handcuffed and shackled, in the back of a police van. An autopsy concluded Gray’s head probably slammed against a metal wall of the compartment during hard cornering or braking. Six city police officers, three black and three white, have been criminally charged in the case.
The Maryland National Guard and Maryland State Police also assisted during the week of unrest, which peaked on the day of Gray’s funeral, April 28. State officials also requested 300 Pennsylvania state troopers and 150 New Jersey state troopers to help manage the disturbance.
The state of Maryland is reimbursing out-of-state agencies for their costs, Maryland Emergency Management Agency spokesman Chas Eby said. He said he couldn’t immediately provide the amounts paid and outstanding.
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