UPDATED 7:40 p.m. ET
Most of the officers in charged in the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray are now suing Baltimore State Attorney Marilyn Mosby. Gray died after sustaining head and spinal injuries while in Baltimore police custody during a ride in a police van in April 2015. On Wednesday charges were dropped against the remaining three officers awaiting trial in Gray's case.
CNN reported that out of the six law enforcement officers charged in Gray's death five of them were suing Mosby: Officer Garrett Miller, Officer Edward Nero, Officer William Porter, Lt. Brian Rice, and Sgt. Alicia White.
The lawsuits, reportedly filed April/May of last year after the officers were arrested, allege defamation, false arrest, and false imprisonment.
Michael E. Glass, attorney for Porter and White, said his clients were put through "extensive pain and suffering" reported CNN. The two had been suspended without pay during a year-plus absence that ended Wednesday. They're now on desk duty.
Court documents revealed Rice said he wasn't really involved in Gray's arrest CNN reported. The lawsuit also said, "At no point during his interactions with Mr. Gray did Plaintiff Rice see any officers use excessive force, strike or tase Mr. Gray."
Rice said Mosby spoke about him "in a divisive and inciting manner" while “making false statements about him,” wrote CNN.
The lawsuit also states Rice "lost his freedom and dignity and suffered physical and psychological harm from being arrested and detained without cause." For that they're suing for $75,000 per allegation in addition to legal fees.
"Marilyn Mosby's comments in her press conference today confirm that the charges brought against my clients, Sgt. Alicia White and Officer William Porter, as well as the other four officers, were politically motivated and not supported by evidence to establish probable cause," Glass said.
He's referring to Mosby's press conference Wednesday when she announced charges were being dropped against Miller, Porter, and White.
Mosby called the case "inherently bias" adding: "There were individual police officers that were witnesses to the case, yet were part of the investigative team, interrogations that were conducted without asking the most poignant questions, lead detectives that were completely uncooperative and started a counter-investigation to disprove the state's case."
Addressing Mosby's comments attorneys for Rice, Nero, and Miller, toldThe Baltimore Sun that Mosby refused outside help for the investigation including from the Maryland State Department.
"The fact that she's finding herself as a victim and blaming police, and blaming the court...blaming the defendants...blaming the judge...is pretty shocking," Catherine Flynn, Miller's attorney, toldThe Baltimore Sun.
Marc Zayon, Nero's attorney, and Michael Belsky, Rice's attorney, toldThe Baltimore Sun Nero and Rice wanted to speak to prosecutors days after Gray's death to talk about about what happened only to be ignored.
"These charges were not supported by any fact or evidence. Period," Belsky said. "These charges were brought based on a fictitious narrative that was never true and never proven."
Maryland State Police spokesperson Greg Shipley said, "The Maryland State Police agreed to provide technical assistance to the State's Attorney's Office that would include the expertise of our Computer Crimes Unit. Ultimately, we were not called upon to provide any assistance." In response the State's Attorney's Office said State Police did offer to help but it was minimal and “things we were able to do quicker with our known investigators."
"Ms. Mosby said she's anti-police brutality. We're all anti-police brutality. Nobody condones police brutality. Nobody thinks for one second that police brutality is acceptable," Belsky said. But this is not a case of police brutality."
