Why the Freddie Gray case might fall apart
May 8, 2015, 02:55 IST
The knife's legality centers on whether it was a spring-loaded automatic model, which is illegal, or one that has a spring mechanism that assists the person opening the knife, which is legal."An automatic knife means all you do is push a button and the blade pops out," Michael Faith, marketing director for Henderson's Sporting Goods, told WJLA. "A lot of knives will have a little spring assist so when you push it open with your thumb, the knife will open up pretty much by itself."
A lawyer for officer Edward Nero, who is one of five cops charged with manslaughter, filed a motion claiming Gray's blade was illegal.Further complicating matters for the prosecution, people who have spoken to the medical examiner believe Gray's death will not be ruled a homicide, sources told CNN. Police investigating the case told the cable network they viewed Gray's death as manslaughter at most.A manslaughter charge is used in cases where a person dies from negligence or while an individual is in the process of carrying out a crime, according to the Economist.The second-degree murder charge leveled at officer Caesar Goodson, who is also African-American, will require an even greater burden of proof. But Mosby remains undeterred.The State Attorney's office released the following statement to CNN:Gray died April 19, one week after suffering an injury that partially severed his spine while he was face-down in a police van while handcuffed and shackled but not wearing a seatbelt, Mosby said during a dramatic press conference last week.