Report: Many Brought to Baltimore Jails Hurt

Plus, Freddie Gray ran, but his death 'makes you run faster'
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted May 11, 2015 9:40 AM CDT
Report: Many Brought to Baltimore Jails Hurt
Police watch protesters on April 27, 2015, during unrest following the funeral of Freddie Gray in Baltimore.   (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

In more ways than one, Freddie Gray's story was not unusual in Baltimore. Gray reportedly died after police ignored his requests for medical care—and he wasn't alone in failing to receive help, the Baltimore Sun reports. Corrections officers weren't willing to admit some 2,600 people held by police between June 2012 and this April until they got medical care; many were hurt, including 123 who had "visible head injuries," the paper reports. An official explains: "The police are not medical personnel and may not be aware of the severity or presence of all injuries." But one former detainee who says he was held for hours before he was sent to the hospital for a broken nose—he ultimately received compensation in court—puts it bluntly: "I thought I was gonna die that day. Freddie Gray wasn't so lucky."

Meanwhile, running from the police is common in the city, residents tell the New York Times. "People going to always run from the police," says one 24-year-old. It happens for many reasons: Some might be carrying drugs or face arrest warrants, but others are simply fearful of the officers, the paper reports. One young man explains that, growing up, his friends would argue with the cops after being told to leave street corners; eventually, officers would tire of the feud, and the chase would begin. "Around here, you grow up into that stuff," he says. “Now, as I'm older, it's no point. Because now, if you look at it, if you run, it's going to make matters even worse." Not everyone agrees: Though Gray died after fleeing cops, some say they don't plan to change their ways. "That makes you run faster," notes one. (More Freddie Gray stories.)

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