WASHINGTON – A prisoner who was allegedly in a police van with Freddie Gray told investigators he could hear Gray “banging against the walls,” and that he believed Gray “was intentionally trying to injure himself,” The Washington Post reports.
The Post says it obtained a police document detailing the prisoner’s claims, including that the prisoner – who is currently in jail – was separated from Gray by a metal partition, and could not see him.
The document was written by a Baltimore police investigator, according to the Post, though it is unclear if there is any evidence to support the prisoner’s account.
WBAL‘s Jayne Miller told MSNBC Wednesday that the timeline in the Post article “doesn’t match” their reporting.
Gray was arrested April 12 after running away at the sight of police, authorities said. He was handcuffed and loaded into a police van. Gray died a week later.
Authorities said they are still investigating how and when he suffered the spinal injury — during the arrest or while he was in the van, where authorities say he was riding without being belted in, a violation of department policy.
The Post reports an attorney for the Gray family, Jason Downs, says the family had not been told of the prisoner’s comments.
“We disagree with any implication that Freddie Gray severed his own spinal cord,” Downs told the Post. “We question the accuracy of the police reports we’ve seen thus far, including the police report that says Mr. Gray was arrested without force or incident.”
Police have said that they will turn over findings from their investigation to the state’s attorney on Friday.
