Md. governor lifts state of emergency for Baltimore
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Wednesday he was ending a state of emergency in Baltimore after recent civil unrest.
Hogan’s decision will send home all National Guard and state police in the troubled city, Fox News reported.
Hogan initially called in 2,000 National Guard troops after riots in Baltimore on April 27.
{mosads}Protesters turned violent following the funeral of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died April 19 as a result of a spinal injury he suffered in police custody.
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake on Wednesday asked the Department of Justice to investigate the city’s police for discrimination against minorities.
“Throughout my administration, we have taken a number of steps to change the culture and practices of the Baltimore Police Department,” Rawlings-Blake said.
“Despite this progress, we all know that Baltimore continues to have a fractured relationship between the police and community.”
Hogan, a Republican, said the mayor’s request was “probably a step in the right direction” in remarks made that same afternoon.
Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts admitted Wednesday his department deserved some of the blame for recent tensions.
“We are part of the problem,” he said. “The community needs to hear from us that we haven’t been part of the solution, and now we have to evolve. Now we have to change.”
Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby on Friday ruled Gray’s death a homicide and filed criminal charges against six police officers involved in his arrest.
Rawlings-Blake imposed a citywide curfew April 28 over the city’s agitation from Gray’s treatment. The curfew kept citizens indoors from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. until Sunday.
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