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Pictures of a sign that reads “Enjoy your ride, cuz we sure will” inside a Baltimore police van sparked controversy this week in light of the notorious “rough rides” police torture practice that many believe killed African-American Freddie Gray.
Photos of the sign, which surfaced on Facebook on July 1, shows the message inside the door of the police van is clearly meant to be read by its passengers.
The sign is seen as distasteful and revealing of the police culture that led to the death of the 25-year-old African-American Freddie Gray, who suffered a fatal spinal injury in a brutal ride inside a Baltimore police van in April. Six police officers were charged in the case for “engaging in conduct that creates a substantial risk of death or serious physical injury to another.” The driver of the van faces charges of second-degree murder.
The Guardian reported that the Baltimore police department is currently inspecting all of its vehicles and that cameras will be installed inside police vans.
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Gray is not the first victim of the police torture practice also known as “nickel rides.”
In 2004, Jeffrey Alston won $39 million from Baltimore after he was paralyzed from the neck down in a police torture ride. In 2005, the practice left Dondi Johnson Sr. paraplegic and he won $7.4 million in compensation. In 2013, Christine Abbott also filed a lawsuit against the department after experiencing torture in the police van.
A Philadelphia Inquirer investigation into the police practice of “nickel rides” in 2001, found 20 cases of injuries, including three spinal injuries and two instances of paralysis.
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