TRNN Executive Producer Eddie Conway speaks with residents of West Baltimore about the mistrial in the case of officer William Porter
Story Transcript
EDDIE CONWAY, TRNN: Okay. I’m down here in Gilmor Homes right now and we are asking a couple of the residents how they feel about the hung jury verdict of Officer Porter, and how they feel about whether or not it was normal to not buckle someone in to protect their safety, or whether or not it was normal to deny them medical attention. So we’re asking the residents that today. KEONA CRADDOCK: The hung jury verdict made me feel like it’s a bunch of games being played. I don’t see how it was so hard to say that he’s guilty for denying somebody medical attention. I feel like if you see someone hurt or they’re asking you for help that’s the inhumane thing to do, is to deny him medical attention. SPEAKER: Porter, he was the one that they’re saying he ain’t care. That he needed medical attention even just like, foget him, for real. So yeah, on that note, I ain’t got nothing else to say. They just did it wrong, and they deserve to get the, we’re like, [inaud.] that way. Point blank [inaud.]. CRADDOCK: A lot of people are very upset, and it’s not fair. It’s not fair, and I feel that anger, but you know, I also feel as though, you know, it’s a lot of unknown witnesses, you know, that don’t want to come forth and speak up, speak out about what happened to Freddie Gray. So you know, you know, with the people who have, you know, spoke up in the defense of him, publicly, you know, they, they were brave. But with their statement, without the rest of the people’s statement, is just a piece of the puzzle. SPEAKER: Rest in peace, Freddie Gray. We miss you. We’re going to turn up for you, baby. And yeah, we know what we want to do, baby. Yeah, that mistrial, that was phoney. Like, man, they–. CONWAY: Should he be tried again? SPEAKER: Yeah, tried again. Tried again, tried–but I’ma pass the mic to my big brother. SPEAKER: Should have been [a] mistrial from the beginning, you hear me. They beat y’all. See, I watched him beat y’all. They beat y’all, you hear. SPEAKER: I feel as though that mistrial was very wrong. I felt as though they should try him again. And if he really asked for medical attention like he said he did, he should have went overtop of their heads to get him some help. I think the jury, some of them, was wrong. And how they came to their conclusion. But I really feel he should do time just as well as the other ones. KEVIN LAWSON, FMR. RESIDENT OF GILMOR HOMES: Me, I feel as almost everything was messed up anyway, because how are you going to lock somebody up inside of a truck when you’re tossing them in it? And then the boy was hollering for, he needs asthma pumping, and you couldn’t stop and give it to him? That’s crazy. And I mean, most of all the stuff I’ve seen so far now, every police officer they have down there needs to be gone and put some new ones in. Because the stuff they’ve been doing ever since that happened, it’s ridiculous. CONWAY: Well, what have they been doing since that [happened]. Have there been incidents in the community? They continued to invade people’s houses and jump on people? LAWSON: Well, and that’s what I’ve been hearing so far. That they’ve been doing stuff crazy, going to people’s houses, locking people up or going there to see if they had, like, they’re seeing it looks like they’re suspicious, or whatever. Me, I don’t think, you don’t just jump up and go into somebody’s house unless you have a right, or have some papers saying that you’re authorized to go in a person’s house. And I don’t see no change in it yet. SPEAKER: I would just like to say that for Freddie Gray’s death, it caused a real disturbance in the city of Baltimore. And I think that those police officers should have some remorse in killing a boy if actually, if that’s actually what happened. I’m a resident here in West Baltimore, and for me it was very disturbing to say the least. CONWAY: So how do you think the community is feeling now as a result of this hung jury? LAWSON: Outraged. I mean, he should have got charged for it. And as far as the jury, they need to get a whole new set, because they don’t know what they’re talking about.
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