Justice Department to investigate police custody death in Baltimore

The Justice Department on Tuesday announced it had opened a civil rights investigation into the death of Freddie Gray, a suspect who suffered a severe spinal injury and died while in police custody in Baltimore.

"Based on preliminary information, the Department of Justice has officially opened this matter and is gathering information to determine whether any prosecutable civil rights violations occurred," a DOJ spokesperson said in a statement.

The 25-year-old Gray died Sunday, one week after his arrest. The Baltimore Police Department suspended six officers while probing the incident, but has so far said it has no idea how Gray sustained the fatal injury.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up