Officer Edward Nero, the second of six Baltimore police officers charged in the 2015 death of Freddie Gray, has been acquitted of all the charges he faced. Nero faced a judge in a bench trial rather than going before a jury.
Prosecutors argued during Nero's six-day trial that Nero, a former volunteer EMT and firefighter who has been with the Baltimore Police Department since 2012, committed a crime when he, along with Officer Garrett Miller and Lt. Brian Rice arrested and handcuffed Gray without probable cause after Gray ran unprovoked from police.
The state added that Nero committed reckless endangerment when he failed to seatbelt Gray in the transport van and that placed him in the position that led to his fatal injuries.
Nero's attorney Marc Zayon argued that the law allows for such a stop in high crime areas, Nero only touched Gray once and the police transport van driver, Officer Caesar Goodson, was ultimately responsible for placing a seat belt on Gray.
Also during the trial, Miller testified that he was the one who arrested and handcuffed Gray. Miller, a member of the department since 2012 is also charged with second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in office in connection to Gray's death.
The judge reportedly stressed that testimony from Miller in explaining the verdict.