The family of Freddie Gray have reached a tentative settlement of $6.4 million in their lawsuit against the city of Baltimore.
The proposed settlement will need to be formally approved by Baltimore’s spending oversight board, which is due to meet on Wednesday. The $6.4 million figure of the settlement is the latest significant development since Gray’s death. There was a national outcry immediately following his death. In July, Baltimore Police Department Commissioner Anthony Batts was fired.
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said the following in a statement: “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 for our city to heal.”
Rawlings-Blake also commented that the settlement “should not be interpreted as a judgment on the guilt or innocence of the officers.’ However, the settlement exceeds the $5.7 million paid out by Baltimore since January 2011 in settlements and court judgments relating to police misconduct cases.
Although the settlement has been reached, the six officers responsible for Gray’s murder still have to wait for their individual trials to begin.
