Freddie Gray Character Analysis

In 2015 Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old Black man, was arrested in Baltimore after running away when he saw police patrolling his Baltimore neighborhood. He was later found to be in possession of a knife, though the knife he was carrying was legal under Maryland law. Gray’s arrest was violent, with officers pressing their knees into his neck and apparently resulting in Gray’s inability to use his legs. While being transported to a nearby police precinct in a van, Gray was given a “rough ride”—a form of police brutality in which a prisoner is denied a seatbelt and then driven around in such a way that causes harm or confusion. The force used during transport snapped Gray’s neck, causing him to die of his injuries a week later. His death set off a wave of protests, having taken place shortly after the murders of Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and Michael Brown by law enforcement.