(BALTIMORE – March 24, 2025) – Baltimore and the world are approaching the 10th anniversary of the Freddie Gray Unrest, a moment that catapulted Penn-North into the international media spotlight. On April 12, 2015, Gray was arrested at Gilmor Homes in my beloved Sandtown community for allegedly carrying an illegal switchblade. The world watched the footage repeatedly—three Baltimore police officers taking Gray down, one driving a knee into his back. He was clearly injured and unable to walk, yet we saw him being dragged to a police van instead of receiving medical attention. Notably, those officers were white.
A decade later, questions remain unanswered, and theories still swirl. For example, was an ambulance ever called?
According to BMORENews sources, an ambulance was indeed dispatched but mistakenly sent to the wrong location. These sources contend that Gray should never have been placed in the van. They also suggest that videotapes from the area were seized—footage that might have clarified what truly transpired. But at this point, we may never know.
What followed Gray’s arrest was nothing short of a media frenzy. He eventually reached the hospital but succumbed to his injuries. His time in the police van was described as a “rough ride,” but sources close to BMORENews have long maintained that the driver, Officer Caesar Goodson, was not known for such behavior. Goodson, along with two other Black officers—Sergeant Alicia White and Officer William G. Porter—were among the six officers charged in Gray’s death.
Sgt. White has a stellar reputation in the community. These accusations soiled her career, but thank God, she has since recovered.
To this day, it remains perplexing why the Black officers were charged and even more so why the three Black officers were tried first. Meanwhile, the three white officers involved—Garrett Miller, Edward Nero, and Lieutenant Brian Rice—never went to trial, as the charges against them were dropped.
The U.S. Department of Justice later concluded:
“After an extensive review of this tragic event, conducted by career prosecutors and investigators, the Justice Department concluded that the evidence is insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Caesar Goodson, Officer William Porter, Officer Garrett Miller, Officer Edward Nero, Lieutenant Brian Rice, or Sergeant Alicia White willfully violated Gray’s civil rights. Accordingly, the investigation into this incident has been closed without prosecution.”
A decade later, the questions linger, the wounds remain, and the search for justice continues.
