Baltimore cop is NOT GUILTY over Freddie Gray's death: Officer accused of assaulting 25-year-old black man who died in police van walks free

A Baltimore police officer has been found not guilty of charges he faced in relation to the death of Freddie Gray.

Officer Edward Nero was cleared of assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment after the 25-year-old black man died from injuries he suffered in the back of a police van following his arrest in April 2015.

According to witnesses in court, plain-clothed police officers came and hugged Nero one-by-one after the verdict was read out by Judge Barry Williams. 

A small group of protesters gathered outside the courthouse as the city's police prepared for a reaction to the verdict. The mayor of the city immediately appealed for calm.

Freddie Gray's family's attorney, Billy Murphy, said in a statement that he believed the verdict was fair and correct.

He told supporters to be patient as he believes the ruling has nothing to do with the trials of the other five officers.  

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A police officer shakes the hand of Edward Nero as he leaves court after he was found not guilty of all charges in relation to the death of Freddie Gray 

He was surrounded by police officers and appeared to have avoided crowds of protesters following the verdict

Nero (center), pictured with members of his legal team, had faced assault, misconduct and reckless endangerment charges following the death of the 25-year-old 

The officer showed little emotion as he left the courthouse in Baltimore on Monday morning. He will remain on active desk duty while the rest of his colleagues face trial 

Nero said he was 'relieved' that the nightmare was almost over, but will still be on active desk duty while the other officers face trial.

Baltimore police also confirmed that he was still under investigation for his role in the arrest.  

As the verdict was read, Nero dropped his head down and his attorney placed a hand on his back. 

The courtroom was quiet. When the judge said he was not guilty, Nero stood up and hugged his attorney, and appeared to wipe away a tear.

'The state's theory has been one of recklessness and negligence,' Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams said. 'There has been no evidence that the defendant intended for a crime to occur.' 

The judge added: 'This court does not find that the defendant detained Gray without probable cause.'

Williams said prosecutors had failed to prove their case. During a 25-reading of his decision, he said that Nero acted as a 'similarly situated' officer would.

He said Nero's partner, Garrett Miller, had testified that Nero had not handcuffed Gray. 

Nero was one of six Baltimore police officers charged in the case. He waived his right to a jury trial, opting instead to argue his case before Williams.  

Nero (mugshot left) was arrested and charged after Gray (right) died a week after he was injured in the back of a police van in April 2015

Nero was one of the officers who led Gray into the back of the van where he sustained the deadly injuries 

Black Lives Matter demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse for the verdict as Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced that city officials were braced for any disturbance 

A man, believed to part of Edward Nero's family, is led away from the court by law enforcement as the cop exited in a car on the other side of the building

The supporter acted as a decoy for Nero. He was followed by the media after leaving the court while the officer slipped out of another door while shaking hands with police 

He is the second officer to face a judge following Grey's death. Officer William Porter's manslaughter trial ended with a hung jury at the end of last year. He will be retried later this year.

The trial of van driver, Officer Caesar Goodson, is expected to begin in just two weeks

Following the announcement, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Baltimore's mayor, said the city is prepared to respond to any disturbance.

She said the city will protect neighborhoods, businesses and residents. 

Kevin Davis the Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department added to her sentiments.

He said in a statement: 'Our American criminal justice system has spoken today. Respect and reverence for Judge Williams’ verdict must now prevail throughout our great City. 

'As the eyes of the nation are upon us, I have no doubt we will all exhibit behaviors that represent the very best of Baltimore.'

Gray's death April 19, 2015, set off more than a week of protests followed by looting, rioting and arson that prompted a citywide curfew.

Rawlings-Blake's statements asks residents to be patient and allow 'the entire process to come to a conclusion.'

She released it shortly after a judge found Officer Edward Nero not guilty of misconduct in office and reckless endangerment. She says, 'This is our American system of justice and police officers must be afforded the same justice system as every other citizen.'

She said Nero now faces a Police Department administrative review.

The Baltimore police officers' union said Officer Nero was relieved by the verdict.

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 3 President Gene Ryan said in a statement Monday that Nero's relief is tempered by the fact that five other officers await trial.

Gray is seen being dragged towards a police van following his arrest in Baltimore in April 2015 

The defense argued that the officers who responded that day acted responsibly, and called witnesses to bolster their argument that any reasonable officer in Nero's position would have made the same decisions

Activist Westley West (left in white sweater) chants, 'No Justice, no peace' outside the courthouse 

Baltimore City Sheriff's Deputies push photographers back as Baltimore Police Officer Edward Nero's family members leave the Mitchell Courthouse-West

Members of the media initially thought this man was Nero, before others speculated that he was a lookalike. It was later revealed he was a member of his family used to create a diversion 

Ryan said: 'Officer Nero prays that justice will serve each of the remaining officers with the same fairness that it served him.'

He added that none of the officers did anything wrong. He says prosecutors rushed to charge them without a meaningful investigation.

Ryan said the charges are politically motivated.

He says the prosecution of the officers has destroyed their lives and demolished the relationship between the city's police department and the state's attorney's office. 

There was a large police presence when a man, believed to be Nero, left the courthouse on Monday morning.

But it turned out the man was a member of Nero's family. Members of the media started running towards him when he left the courthouse, prompting others to follow.

Nero actually left in a separate vehicle a short time later.   

Prosecutors had said the 30-year-old unlawfully arrested Gray without probable cause and was negligent when he didn't buckle the prisoner into a seat belt.  

Nero opted for a bench trial rather than a jury trial.

Westley screams at people leaving the Baltimore courthouse following the judge's decision 

Nero kept his head down as he walked into court. His defense lawyers argued that his client didn't arrest Gray and that it is the police van driver's responsibility to buckle in detainees

Nero was surrounded by police officers and members of his legal team as he walked into the courthouse  

The assault charges carried a maximum of 10 years in prison while the reckless endangerment could have landed him of five years behind bars.

Gary's death set off more than a week of protests followed by looting, rioting and arson that prompted a citywide curfew. His name became a rallying cry in the growing national conversation about the treatment of black men by police officers.

Shortly after Gray's death, State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby charged six officers. Three of them are black; Nero and two others are white.

Nero's attorney argued that his client didn't arrest Gray and that it is the police van driver's responsibility to buckle in detainees. 

The defense argued that the officers who responded that day acted responsibly, and called witnesses to bolster their argument that any reasonable officer in Nero's position would have made the same decisions.

Nero's lawyers also sought to convince the judge that the department's order requiring that all inmates be strapped in is more suggestion than rule because officers are expected to act with discretion based on the circumstances of each situation. 

Nero (top right) was one of six officers charged following the death of gray.  Top row from left, Caesar R. Goodson Jr., Garrett E. Miller and bottom row from left, William G. Porter, Brian W. Rice and Alicia D. White, have been charged with felonies. Porter's manslaughter trial ended in a hung jury 

Gray is pictured on April 19, 2015, lying on his deathbed at the University of Maryland hospital