Rashad Robinson, Executive Director of ColorOfChange.org issued the following statement in response to leaked police documents claiming Gray was “trying to injure himself”:

rn

“More than two weeks since Freddie Gray was brutally killed and no police officer has been fired, suspended, or arrested. Instead of moving forward an open trustworthy investigation with integrity, local officials and Governor Hogan are militarizing police, criminalizing protesters, and now blaming Gray for his own brutal death. It’s indefensible.

rn

“We’ve seen time and time again what happens when police are given the authority and political cover to police themselves. No transparency. No indictment. No accountability. And unless Governor Hogan shows the necessary leadership to bring independent oversight to this case, we can expect the same failure of justice in the painful death of Freddie Gray as we saw with Rekia Boyd, Mike Brown, Meagan Hockaday and countless others. The questions remain: Why did police violently arrest Gray? Why was this healthy 25-year-old’s voice box crushed, his spleen ruptured and 80% of his spine severed after 45 minutes with Baltimore law enforcement? The answers can be found in Baltimore’s long history of racism, violence and corruption in law enforcement.

rn

“Nearly 40,000 ColorOfChange members are urging Governor Hogan to send Attorney General Frosh to support the investigation and prosecution of Freddie Gray’s death. From the latest leaked police report it’s clear that this current investigation cannot be trusted. In 2014, 100% of people killed by Baltimore Police were Black. And almost none of those officers have ever been held accountable. Baltimore police have also paid millions to people injured and paralyzed by police “rough rides.” Freddie Gray was killed. And his family, Baltimore, and America have the right to an independent investigation that gets to the bottom of what happened and ensures the greatest measure of justice.

rn

For more information on ColorOfChange’s campaign urging Gov. Hogan to appoint Attorney General Frosh to the Freddie Gray case please see here: www.Justice4FreddieGray.org

rn

###

rn

With more than 1 million members nationwide, ColorOfChange is the country’s largest online civil rights group