WASHINGTON — Freddie Gray died as a result of a “high-energy injury” — likely caused when the police van in which he was being transported suddenly decelerated, according to an autopsy report obtained by The Baltimore Sun Tuesday.
The injury, which is similar to those seen in shallow-water diving incidents, is being called a homicide because officers failed to follow safety procedures “through acts of omission,” The Sun reports.
Gray, 25, died April 19, a week after he suffered a severe spinal cord injury in police custody.
During his April 12 arrest, he was loaded into the van on his stomach and was not belted in while his wrists and ankles were shackled. The medical examiner surmised that he may have gotten to his feet and was thrown into the wall during the drive, The Sun reports.
Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby issued a statement Tuesday saying all six Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray have pleaded not guilty.
