Crowdfunding website blocks contributions to Baltimore officers
A major fundraising website Friday blocked donations to a campaign seeking funds for the six Baltimore police officers facing criminal charges over Freddie Gray’s death.
GoFundMe.com deleted a page created by the Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) that afternoon, The Baltimore Sun reported.
“GoFundMe removed the fundraising campaign created for the Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray,” company spokeswoman Kelsea Little said Friday.
{mosads}“GoFundMe cannot be used to benefit those who are charged with serious violations of the law,” she said. “The campaign clearly stated that the money raised would be used to assist the officers with their legal fees, which is in direct violation of GoFundMe’s terms.”
“Specifically, ‘campaigns in defense of formal charges or claims of heinous crimes, violent, hateful, sexual or discriminatory acts’ are not permitted on GoFundMe,” she added.
“Apparently our GoFundMe account has been suspended with no explanation,” the police union responded on Twitter on Friday.
The Baltimore FOP is now accepting donations for the charged officers through an address listed on its official Twitter account.
It additionally said Saturday it was working towards launching its own space online for collecting contributions.
“Thank you for your generous support,” it tweeted. “We are working to set up a donation point directly on our website.”
Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby on Friday announced charges for the six officers after ruling Gray’s death was a homicide.
Officer Caesar Goodson, the driver of the van transporting Gray, was charged with second-degree murder in the incident.
Charges against the other officers ranged from involuntary manslaughter to assault and false imprisonment.
The Baltimore police union quickly discounted the charges Friday afternoon. Baltimore FOP President Gene Ryan voiced the group’s displeasure in an open letter to Mosby on Twitter.
“As tragic as this situation is, none of the officers involved are responsible for the death of Mr. Gray,” he tweeted.
Michael Davey, a lawyer representing the six officers, also criticized prosecutors’ motivations that same day.
“I believe that the publicity in this case is a driving force to a rush to judgement and causing this prosecution to move so quickly,” he said.
Violent riots erupted Monday in Baltimore over Gray’s funeral. He died April 19 following a fatal spinal injury suffered while in police custody.
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