Mistrial of officer charged in Freddie Gray's death a letdown for city eager for a resolution

Richard Shipley, Freddie Gray'stepfather, left, with Gray's mother Gloria Darden and lawyer Billy Murphy speaks with the media after a mistrial was declared in the manslaughter trial of Officer William Porter, one of six Baltimore city police officers charged in connection to the death of Freddie Gray on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015, in Baltimore Md. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) (The Associated Press)

prev next

Demonstrators protest outside of the city hall in response to a hung jury and mistrial for Officer William Porter, one of six Baltimore city police officers charged in connection to the death of Freddie Gray, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015, in Baltimore Md. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) (The Associated Press)

Charles Mason III collects musical instrument cases representing coffins of victims of police violence outside of Baltimore City Hall in Baltimore on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015. Mason's mentor, artist Paul Rucker, placed the cases in response to the trial for Officer William Porter, one of six Baltimore city police officers charged in connection to the death of Freddie Gray. The trial ended Wednesday with a hung jury and mistrial. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) (The Associated Press)

BALTIMORE – Baltimore has for months braced for a dramatic verdict in a case of alleged police abuse that shook its residents to the core. That verdict never came.

Instead, Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams on Wednesday declared a mistrial in the case of William Porter after jurors made it clear they were hopelessly deadlocked. The ruling puts prosecutors, defense attorneys and a populace anxious for a resolution back at square one.

Lawyers will meet in the judge's chambers Thursday to discuss dates for a possible retrial.

Porter is one of six officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray, whose neck was broken in the back of a police transport van in April. His trial lasted a little more than two weeks.

The jury took three days to deliberate on the charges of manslaughter, assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office. But after roughly 16 hours, they told Williams that a unanimous verdict was impossible.