William Porter Must Testify in Trials of Baltimore Officers Accused in Freddie Gray Death

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William Porter, one of six officers accused in the death of Freddie Gray, will have to testify against his fellow officers, according to a ruling from Maryland's Appeals Court on Tuesday.

Porter was the first of the six officers to stand trial in late 2015 for Gray's death. After six weeks of court proceedings, a jury declared a mistrial. His fellow officer Caesar Goodson's trial was postponed while the court decided about whether Porter could be compelled to testify against him and the others.

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"This is just a temporary bump on the road to justice," Billy Murphy, Gray's family's attorney, told reporters, after Porter's mistrial. "It happens. It's part of how the system works."

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Goodson drove the transport vehicle in which Gray suffered a fatal spinal injury in May. He faces a slew of the most serious charges, including second-degree depraved-heart murder. Prosecutors allege that Gray, who was not strapped securely inside of the vehicle with a seat belt, was a victim of what's commonly known as a "rough ride," in which police officers drive erratically with a handcuffed suspect inside of the vehicle. 

During his own trial, Porter testified that Goodson initially refused to take Gray to a hospital. Porter will be retried after all of the other officers' trials are completed. Goodson, meanwhile, will be on trial soon.

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Gray's death led to days of civil unrest in Baltimore that culminated in State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby announcing indictments of all six officers. 

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Months after the unrest, Baltimore approved a $6.4 million settlement for Gray's family. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake told reporters at the time that the settlement was the city's effort to move forward. 

"All of us realize that money cannot, will not — there's no possibility — to bring back a loved one," she said. "I hope that this settlement will bring a level of closure for the family, for the police department and for our city."