Baltimore to Pay $6.4 Million in Wrongful Death of Freddie Gray

Baltimore officials announced a settlement in the death of Freddie Gray, agreeing to pay US$6.4 million to the family.

The wrongful death deal was taken before lawyers for the plaintiffs filed a lawsuit seeking compensation.

The 25-year-old Black man died from extreme spinal injuries after being arrested by Baltimore Police, according to officials he was driven, handcuffed and unbelted, in a police van. Six officers are currently standing trial for manslaughter and other charges.

However the amount still has to be approved by the city’s Board of Estimates, the governing body that oversees the city’s spending, which will meet on early Wednesday.

“The proposed settlement agreement going before the Board of Estimates should not be interpreted as a judgment on the guilt or innocence of the officers facing trial,” Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said in a statement.

Blake, who also is part of the Board of Estimates, added that this settlement is being proposed solely because it is in the best interest of the city, and avoids costly and protracted litigation that would only make it more difficult “to heal and potentially cost taxpayers many millions more in damages.”

RELATED: Five Key Facts Behind Baltimore’s Protests

Protests erupted across Baltimore after Gray's funeral service and continued for days, resulting in the arrests of at least 250 people and major property damage in clashes between angry protestors and police. At least 20 police officers were reported injured.

The case is one of many incidents, including the killing of Eric Garner in New York and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, where white, U.S. police officers have killed Black or Latino individuals in circumstances that many considerable questionable. The fatal incidents have sparked nation-wide protests and debates around police brutality and institutional racism.