BALTIMORE—Jury selection for the first police officer to go to trial in Freddie Gray' s death began Monday with a judge questioning potential jurors about their knowledge of the explosive case, which led to widespread protests and rioting and added fuel to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams conducted initial questioning in a courtroom but planned to interview 66 prospective jurors in a private conference room — an indication of how difficult the selection process could be for the high-profile trial.
William Porter is one of six officers charged in the death of Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died of a severe spinal injury he suffered while in police custody.
Porter, who is also black, is accused of failing to get medical help for Gray during several stops made by the police van that carried Gray on a 45-minute trip. At the end, officers found Gray unresponsive. He was taken to a hospital and died a week later, on April 19.
The officer is being tried first in part because prosecutors want to use him as a witness in the trials of several other officers. He is charged with manslaughter, assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment.
The judge asked 75 potential jurors on Monday whether anyone had not heard about the case, the citywide curfew imposed after Gray’s death or the settlement paid to his family. No one responded.
Twelve jurors said they had family members in law enforcement. Thirty-seven said they had been a victim or a suspect in a crime, had been to jail or had charges pending against them.
Twenty-six people said they had strong feelings about the charges against Porter.
Williams read aloud more than 200 names of possible witnesses that included more than 100 Baltimore police officers, lawyers and prosecutors.
A small group of protesters gathered outside the courtroom. Their chants of “All night, all day, we will fight for Freddie Gray,” could be heard throughout the proceedings.
