A lawyer for six Baltimore police
officers says they "did nothing wrong", after criminal charges were
announced against them in the case of Freddie Gray who died in police
custody.
Lawyer Michael Davey said the officers "at all times acted reasonably and in accordance with their training".
State
attorney for Baltimore Marilyn Mosby earlier said the death of the
25-year-old black man was a homicide and his arrest had been illegal.
Gray's death sparked violent protests.
But
after the charges were announced on Friday afternoon, celebrations
broke out across Baltimore. Drivers honked their car horns as people
took to the streets with fists raised in triumph.
"These charges are an important step in getting justice for Freddie," said Gray's stepfather Richard Shipley.
The
spontaneous street celebrations turned into a small protest march in
the evening, calling for an amnesty for those detained after Monday's
rioting.
Police said that 53 people were detained on Friday, some for breaking the 22:00 curfew which is still in force in the city.
'Grave concerns'
Speaking to reporters, Mr Davey accused Ms Mosby of an "egregious rush to judgement".
"As
all of the facts surrounding this case come out in the appropriate
form, the officers' lack of wrongdoing will be made abundantly clear."
At the scene: Tara McKelvey, BBC News, Baltimore
In Baltimore, change in the way racial issues are being handled is under way - at a lightning-quick pace.
For
the first time since 1968, the year that Martin Luther King Jr was
assassinated, National Guard troops were deployed. That was earlier this
week.
On Friday, the city - or at least a section of the city,
West North Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue, an area that had been torched
- was starting to heal.
The National Guard troops, the same men who were sent here to stop
would-be rioters, played with children in front of a burned-out CVS.
Someone
has drawn a peace sign in white and pink chalk on its brick wall.
Plywood has been bolted over the smashed-up doors. A Harriet Tubman
poster, commemorating a woman who once helped free slaves, is hung on
the wood, fastened with gaffer tape. Is Baltimore starting to heal? How did Freddie Gray die? Who is prosecutor Marilyn Mosby?
Mr Davey insisted that Gray's injuries "did not occur as a result of any action or inaction on the part of these officers."
He also said that the defence team had "grave concerns about the fairness and integrity of the prosecution of our officers".
All
six officers have been suspended and were charged after they
voluntarily presented themselves at the city jail. They have now been
released from detention on bail.
Ms Mosby earlier rejected a police union request to step aside and appoint a special prosecutor to handle the case.
The
prosecutor said the findings of an independent investigation, coupled
with the medical examiner's view that the death was a homicide, had "led
us to believe that we have probable cause to file criminal charges".
Ms
Mosby said Gray died as a result of injuries suffered while he was
shackled inside a Baltimore police van, but not restrained by a seat
belt - as he was legally required to be.
She said the officers failed to provide medical aid to Gray after he repeatedly pleaded for help.
The driver of the van, Caesar Goodson, 45, faces the most serious
charge, second-degree murder. Mr Goodson faces more than 30 years in
prison if convicted.
The other officers face charges including involuntary manslaughter, assault and misconduct.
Ms Mosby said that Gray was not carrying an illegal switchblade as reported earlier by police, but a legal pocketknife.
After
Gray's funeral on Monday, riots broke out in sections of West
Baltimore. About 200 people were arrested as more than 100 cars were set
alight and 15 buildings destroyed.
Since then, the city and
state officials deployed thousands of extra law enforcement officers and
National Guard troops to keep the peace and enacted a citywide curfew.
Gray's death is the latest in a string of high-profile cases where black men have died after contact with the police.
The charges
Officer Caesar Goodson: 2nd-degree depraved heart
murder, involuntary manslaughter, 2nd degree negligent assault,
manslaughter by vehicle by means of gross negligence, manslaughter by
vehicle by means of criminal negligence, misconduct in office for
failure to secure prisoner and failure to render aid
Officer William Porter: Involuntary manslaughter, assault in the 2nd degree, misconduct in office
Lieutenant Brian Rice: Involuntary manslaughter,
assault in the 2nd degree, assault in the 2nd degree [second of two
similar charges], misconduct in office, false imprisonment
Officer Edward Nero: Assault in the 2nd degree (intentional), assault in the 2nd degree (negligent), misconduct in office, false imprisonment
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