ARE STARTING A NEWS CONFERENCE,
CORRECT?
REPORTER:
WE ARE GOING TO GO TO
THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
NEWS CONFERENCE STARTING NOW.
WE ARE DISAPPOINTED IN THE
APPARENT RUSH TO JUDGMENT, GIVEN
THE FACT THE INVESTIGATION INTO
THIS MATTER HAS NOT BEEN
CONCLUDED.
OUR OFFICERS, LIKE EVERY
OTHER
AMERICAN CITIZEN, ARE ENTITLED
TO DUE PROCESS.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM
THROUGHOUT THIS JUDICIAL PROCESS
, WHICH WE BELIEVE WILL RESULT
IN A FINDING OF INNOCENCE.
WE ALSO PROMISE ALL ACTIVE-DUTY
OFFICERS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE
TO WORK RELIGION LEAD TO ENSURE
THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE THE
NECESSARY SUPPORT FROM FOP
TO
ENABLE YOU TO COMPLETE YOUR
MISSIONS SAFELY.
AT THIS TIME I WILL TURN IT OVER
TO OUR ATTORNEY, MIKE DAVIE.
MIKE DAVIE: GOOD AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS MICHAEL DAVIE, I'M AN
ATTORNEY REPRESENTING BALTIMORE
CITY FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE.
MY FIRM HAS BEEN RETAINED TO
REPRESENT LIEUTENANT RICE.
I'M HERE JUST BEGUN ON BEHALF OF
ALL THE OFFERS AND THEIR LEGAL
-- OFFICERS AND
THEIR LEGAL
REPRESENTATION.
IN MY CAREER AS A LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AND ATTORNEY
, I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH A HURRIED
RUSH TO FILE CRIMINAL CHARGES
WHICH I BELIEVE ARE DRIVEN BY
FORCES SEPARATE AND APART FROM
THE APPLICATION OF LAW AND THE
FACTS OF THIS CASE AS WE KNOW
THEM.
NO ONE
CONDONES POLICE
MISCONDUCT.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE OF THE
ENTIRE FOP MEMBERSHIP, INCLUDING
MY CLIENTS, WHO WAS A 17 YEAR
VETERAN OF THIS DEPARTMENT, WHO
DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO SERVING
THE PUBLIC.
LET ME STATE
IN NO UNCERTAIN
TERMS THAT LIEUTENANT RICE AND
ALL THE OFFICERS INVOLVED AT ALL
TIMES ACTED REASONABLY AND IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR TRAINING
IS BALTIMORE POLICE OFFICERS.
NO OFFICER INJURED MR. GRAY,
CAUSED HARM TO MR. GRAY, AND
THEY ARE TRULY SADDENED BY HIS
DEATH.
THESE OFFICERS DID NOTHING
WRONG.
AS ALL OF THE FACTS SURROUNDING
THIS CASE COME OUT IN THE
APPROPRIATE FORUM, THE OFFICERS'
LACK OF WRONGDOING WILL BE MADE
ABUNDANTLY CLEAR.
WE BELIEVE THE ACTIONS TAKEN
TODAY BY THE STATE'S ATTORNEY
ARE AND AGREE JUST RUSH TO
JUDGMENT, AND WE HAVE GRAVE
CONCERNS ABOUT THE FAIRNESS AND
INTEGRITY OF THE PROSECUTION OF
OUR OFFICERS.
LET ME REITERATE TWO THINGS.
LIEUTENANT RICE AND ALL THE
OFFICERS ARE DEEPLY AFFECTED I
MR. GRAY'S PASSING, AND THAT IS
INTEGRATED NOT OCCUR AS A RESULT
OF ANY ACTION OR INACTION ON THE
PART OF THESE OFFICERS.
IT IS OUR INTENTION TO TRY THIS
CASE IN THE COURTROOM AND NOT
THE MEDIA.
THE STATEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN
AN EFFORT TO PROTECT ALL OF THE
OFFICERS FROM UNDUE PREJUDICIAL
PUBLICITY SURROUNDING THIS CASE.
WE BELIEVE THESE OFFICERS WILL
BE VINDICATED, AS THEY HAVE DONE
NOTHING WRONG.
AT THIS TIME I TURN IT OVER TO
LIEUTENANT KENNETH BUTLER,
PRESIDENT OF THE VANGUARD
JUSTICE SOCIETY.
LT. BUTLER: GOOD AFTERNOON.
I AM A LIEUTENANT WITH BALTIMORE
CITY POLICE.
AS A MEMBER OF THE BALTIMORE
CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR 29
YEARS, I SHOULD BEGIN BY SAYING
THAT WE ARE FRUSTRATED AND
SHOCKED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES
THAT HAVE TRANSPIRED TODAY.
AS BALTIMORE POLICE OFFICERS, WE
ARE NOT AT ODDS WITH THE
COMMUNITY.
WE ARE NOT AT ODDS WITH THE
COMMUNITY.
IN FACT, WE ARE SWORN TO
PROTECT
THE COMMUNITY AND THOSE WHO ARE
PROTESTING AGAINST THE SIX
OFFICERS INVOLVED IN THIS CASE.
OUR ORGANIZATION HAS SUPPORTED
THESE OFFICERS SINCE THE
BEGINNING OF THIS DIFFICULT
SITUATION, AND WE WILL CONTINUE
TO DO SO.
THANK YOU.
AT THIS TIME WE WILL TAKE
VERY LIMITED QUESTIONS.
[INDISCERNIBLE]
ARE YOU STILL HOPING THE
STATE ATTORNEY WILL APPOINT A
SPECIAL PROSECUTOR?
WE ARE STILL HOPING IT IS
REVIEWED BY A SPECIAL
PROSECUTOR.
[INAUDIBLE]
I ALREADY MADE MY STATEMENT
AND THE STATEMENTS BASED FOR
ITSELF.
I HAVE NO FURTHER COMMENTS ON
THAT.
[INAUDIBLE]
I AM SAYING THERE MAY BE A
FAILURE IN THE POLICY, AND THE
FACTS WILL COME OUT AS WE MOVE
FORWARD.
[INAUDIBLE]
I HAVE NO INFORMATION ABOUT
THAT, I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF
THAT.
WE HAVE YET TO SEE A PRELIMINARY
AUTOPSY REPORT.
WE HAVE NOT
INTERVIEWED OR
SPOKEN TO ANYONE INVOLVED AT THE
MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE.
I CAN'T EVEN COMMENT ON
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THE POLICE COMMISSIONER SAID
HE DID AN EXHAUSTIVE
INVESTIGATION.
[INAUDIBLE]
UNTIL WE SEE WHAT THEY HAVE
DONE, I CANNOT ANSWER THAT.
I CAN'T SPECULATE AS TO WHAT
THEY DID OR DID NOT DO.
I FIND IT DIFFICULT THAT IT'S
NOT A RUSH TO JUDGMENT WHEN
CONDUCTING A CASE IN WHICH
SOMEONE HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH
SECOND-DEGREE MURDER, THEY CAN
WRAP IT UP IN TWO WEEKS.
THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY.
[INAUDIBLE]
UNTIL I SEE THE INVESTIGATIVE
FILE, UNTIL WE GET THE DISCOVERY
IN THIS CASE, I CAN'T ANSWER
THAT QUESTION.
[INAUDIBLE]
LIKE I SAID, I'M SURE THEY
ARE DISAPPOINTED TO READ --
DISAPPOINTED.
I CAN TELL YOU THEY ARE NOT
HAPPY.
THIS DECISION TO CHARGE THE
OFFICERS IS GOING TO MAKE OUR
JOB EVEN HARDER.
[INAUDIBLE]
YOU SAID QUOTE, A WEEK
AGO,
HAD HE NOT HAD A KNIFE ON HIM,
HE WOULD HAVE BEEN RELEASED
AFTER THE PROPER PAPERWORK WAS
DONE.
I HAVE NOT SEEN A KNIFE.
THAT DETERMINATION WILL BE MADE
BY A JUDGE AND JURY.
THAT STATEMENT WAS PREMATURE?
IT WAS BASED ON INFORMATION I
KNEW THEN AND KNOW NOW.
HAVE THE OFFICERS BEEN
FORTHCOMING WITH INFORMATION?
THE OFFICERS HAVE BEEN
FORTHCOMING AND COOPERATED IN
THIS INVESTIGATION.
THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY ABOUT THAT.
[INAUDIBLE]
FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY, I WILL
NOT DO THAT.
[INAUDIBLE]
I'M NOT GOING TO GET CAUGHT
UP IN THE POLITICS.
DO YOU
BELIEVE IT IS
POLITICALLY MOTIVATED AT THE
MEDICAL EXAMINER FOUND
[INAUDIBLE]
I WOULD NOT THINK ABOUT
COMMENTING, NOR WOULD I.
WHAT IS THE POLITICAL
MOTIVATION?
I BELIEVE THE PUBLICITY IN
THIS CASE IS DRIVING FORCE TO A
RUSH TO JUDGMENT AND CAUSING
THIS PROSECUTION TO MOVE SO
QUICKLY.