POLICE INVESTIGATORS, PROSECUTORS CLASH

Baltimore prosecutors charge that police investigators are trying to sabotage the Freddie Gray case

By Kevin Rector and Justin Fenton

The Baltimore Sun
June 16, 2016

BALTIMORE -- Tensions between police investigators and prosecutors in Baltimore erupted in a downtown courtroom Thursday, with a top state prosecutor accusing a lead detective of trying to sabotage the state's case against six officers in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray.

Chief Deputy State's Attorney Michael Schatzow also suggested that Det. Dawnyell Taylor, the lead detective in the police department's investigation of Gray's death, and other top police officials had tried to persuade assistant medical examiner Dr. Carol Allan to rule Gray's death an accident rather than a homicide.

Taylor, in turn, suggested Deputy State's Attorney Janice Bledsoe, with whom she had fallen out during the investigation, lacked integrity.

The clashes came as Taylor took the stand for the defense in the second-degree murder trial of Officer Caesar Goodson Jr., the driver of the van in which Gray suffered fatal spinal injuries last year.

The trial's sixth day began with Judge Barry G. Williams denying a defense motion to acquit Goodson.

Taylor testified that Allan had said during a meeting in the days after Gray's death that it was a "freakish accident, and that no human hands can cause this."

Allan eventually ruled Gray's death a homicide, and testified that she never considered it an accident.

Taylor was allowed to testify about Allan's alleged statements, which would normally be considered hearsay, as part of a "remedy" ordered by Williams for the state having violated discovery rules in the case by failing to provide certain evidence to the defense. Williams ordered Taylor's testimony admissible earlier this week.

On cross examination, Schatzow immediately asked Taylor about her falling out with Bledsoe during the investigation. He also suggested Taylor didn't like him because he had asked her to be removed from the investigation because he felt she was "sabotaging" it.

Taylor said she was never removed, but agreed to stop having communications with the State's Attorney's Office.

There was an extended discussion of why she hadn't turned over to the prosecution her notes that referenced Allan's comments about Gray's death being an accident.

She said Bledsoe had opportunities to see her notes, but that Bledsoe repeatedly had "tantrums" during their meetings.

The exchange came as defense began calling witnesses Thursday.

First was Det. Corey Alston, also an investigator with the Baltimore Police Department. He testified that he met twice with Allan and that they discussed Gray's manner of death. He said he was unable to disclose what was discussed.

Taylor took the stand after Alston.

The prosecution concluded its case Wednesday after calling a police expert witness who testified about so-called rough rides but couldn't say whether Goodson gave such a ride to Gray.

The state called a total of 21 witnesses over five days. The court has not said how long the defense expects to take in presenting its case.

Goodson is the third Baltimore police officer of the six charged in the case to go to trial. The first, of Officer William Porter, was declared a mistrial in December after a 12-member jury could not reach a consensus on any of the charges against him. He is scheduled to be retried in September.

The second, of Officer Edward Nero, ended with Williams acquitting Nero of all charges in a bench trial last month.

Goodson has also elected to have Williams decide his fate, rather than a jury.

EDITOR’S NOTE: I think the officers in the Freddie Gray case are the victims of a political persecution. But that would not be happening if they had only restrained Gray when they placed him in the paddy wagon.