#goodsontrial

Barley 24 hours had passed – let alone 48 – after I asked Lt. Gene Ryan, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 3, how officers rebuild community trust while pointing out the rhetoric his organization has engaged in over the last year.

He said Thursday that if I wanted to talk about it, we can do so later.  But at that moment, he wanted to talk about the acquittal of Officer Caesar Goodson in last year;s death of Freddie Gray.  Goodson was found not guilty of the most serious charges in the case including second degree depraved heart murder and manslaughter (three different types for the record.)

Let’s start by going back to the future and point out some FOP’s remarks that upset community members and city leaders.

Days before the first unrest that took place in Baltimore last year, Ryan compared protesters to a “lynch mob” because the protesters called for the officers involved to be jailed immediately. (Baltimore Sun, April 22, 2015)

Nearly a month after the six officers involved were charged, crime spiked in Baltimore.  Many accused officers of performing a work slowdown as payback to protesters and to city leaders.  Ryan denied a work slow.  However, in a tweet, Ryan did say officers are afraid of going to jail “for doing their jobs properly.”

Then in July 2015, the FOP released their after action review.  Once again, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s famous (or infamous) misspeak on the first day of unrest; April 25, 2016.  Ryan eventually said he didn’t want then-Commissioner Anthony Batts to leave towards the end of a news conference to discuss the review.

The mayor eventually fired Batts the same day because the conversation was too much about him and not about how to stem another violent summer in good ol’ Baltimore.  It should be noted here that 2015 ended with the highest homicide count in decades.

Ryan blasted a $6.4 million settlement reached between the city and Freddie Gray’s family.  He said it was “ridiculous” because none of the trials had taken place and that the settlement “threatens to interrupt any progress made toward restoring the relationship between members of the Baltimore Police Department and the Baltimore City government.” (Baltimore Magazine, Sept. 10, 2015)

And now, we come to June 25, 2016, where someone with keys to the FOP3 twitter account posted these two memes. (Screen captures from WJZ)

Those memes were instantly criticized by Police Commissioner Kevin Davis and City Council President Jack Young.  The tweets have since been deleted.  No apologies have been offered by the FOP.

Chief Deputy State’s Attorney Michael Schatzow told Circuit Judge Barry Williams that Freddie Gray was injured because he got a “rough ride.”  And that a seat belt would have prevented Gray from receiving a broken neck while being transported to Western District in April 2015.

Schatzow also said Goodson “is no rookie officer.”  And that he trained other officers on how to transport prisoners.

Goodson attorney Andrew Graham responded “well, we certainly see things differently.”

Graham said the state’s characterization of his client was not true; calling Goodson “a nice guy” and a hard worker who supported other officers by driving the van.  Adding “prisoners have fallen asleep” because of Goodson’s driving style.

“They’ve got to pull his brain out and put it on the table and point to things in it to the jury to say ‘see, this is proof that he knew, he knew, he knew’ and that’s just not there because, remember, Goodson is the only officer statement that never gave a statement to anybody,” said Legal analyst and defense attorney Warren Brown.

Brown told me, in an earlier interview, that the serious charges involves the state proving Goodson knew Gray would suffer serious injury or death if he was not placed in a seat belt.

He added “it’s going to be difficult” because Goodson is the van driver; he picks up the detainees and takes them where they need to go.  “That’s basically it.”