The state medical examiner's office concluded that Gray's death fit the medical and legal definition of an accident, but ruled it to be a homicide because officers failed to follow safety procedures "through acts of omission."
Though Gray was loaded into the van on his belly, the medical examiner surmised that he may have gotten to his feet and was thrown into the wall during an abrupt change in direction. He was not belted in, but his wrists and ankles were shackled, making him "at risk for an unsupported fall during acceleration or deceleration of the van."
Gray, 25, was arrested April 12 following a foot pursuit by officers in the Gilmor Homes area, and suffered a severe spinal injury while in police custody. His death a week later sparked protests over police brutality and unrest in the city — including looting and rioting — that drew international attention to the case.
The Baltimore state's attorney's office charged the six officers involved in Gray's arrest and death. Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr., the driver of the van, is charged with second-degree depraved heart murder, while three other officers are charged with manslaughter. The remaining officers face lesser charges.
