Description
Book SynopsisBased on new evidence and deep reporting, the riveting truth about a case that has become a touchstone in the struggle for racial justice and Black lives.They Killed Freddie Gray exposes a conspiracy among Baltimore leaders to cover up what actually happened to Freddie Gray, who was fatally injured in police custody in April 2015. After Gray’s death, Baltimore became ground zero for Black Lives Matter and racial justice protests that exploded across the country. State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby became a hero when she charged six officers in Gray’s death, and the trials of the officers generated national headlines for two years.
Yet the cause of Gray’s death has remained a mystery. A viral video showed an officer leaning on Gray’s back while he cried out in pain. But the autopsy concluded he was fatally injured later that morning while the van was in motion—during a multi-stop “rough ride”—from sudden impact to his head. None of the officers were convicted of any crimes based on this theory.
They Killed Freddie Gray solves the mystery of Gray’s death by uncovering new evidence of how he was killed by police and how his cause of death was covered up. In coordination with a documentary film now being produced, this book revisits a pivotal moment in US criminal justice history, providing new insight into what happened, the historical structures of power that allowed it to happen, and the personalities and dynamics involved—a story never told by the mainstream media. It includes a detailed map with annotations by the author, photographs, and a foreword by Rabia Chaudry.
Trade Review“
An impassioned account of the circumstances behind 25-year-old Freddie Gray’s death while in the custody of Baltimore police in 2015. . . . Barron uncovers suppressed evidence, such as video recordings and witness testimony, that she asserts would have made convictions more likely if it had been shown to the public or at the trials. Barron’s writing is powered by outrage over Gray’s death and the failure to hold anyone accountable. Readers will be troubled.”—Publishers Weekly"Complex, dense in detail, and sharply argued: a firm indictment of injustice committed on the street and in the courtroom."—Kirkus Reviews ""In over 300 meticulously reported pages,
Barron presents the fullest story to date of Gray’s death and the failure to hold the BPD accountable."—Ron Cassie, Baltimore Magazine
"Justine Barron untangles the mess of fact and false information that circulated about the Gray case, helping to paint the most accurate picture we have of what happened that day in April 2015."—Elizabeth Hazen, author of Girls Like Us, in Baltimore Fishbowl
"If there is to be a seminal text investigating the truth about the killing of Gray and the ensuing cover-up, this book will be it."—from the preface by Rabia Chaudry, author of Adnan's Story and Fatty Fatty, Boom Boom “
They Killed Freddie Gray is
a fascinating look at police and political abuse of those caught up in the criminal justice system. The egregious 2015 arrest and in-custody death of Baltimore resident Freddie Gray is an alarming wake-up call to the abuse of power by those tasked to protect and serve the people under the Constitution.
This ‘you are there’ format gives insight into the final moments of Freddie Gray’s life and allows the reader to experience the constitutional abuse of power firsthand. I wholeheartedly endorse this book.”—Sgt. Ron Stallworth (Ret.), author of
Black Klansman "
Required reading for anyone who thinks policing will be fixed or justice achieved by civilian review boards, progressive prosecutors, blue-ribbon panels, or high-paid 'police reformers.' Barron makes clear that abusive policing is business as usual for Baltimore's political class."—Alex Vitale, author of
The End of Policing"Meticulous and engrossing, They Killed Freddie Gray provides a multifaceted analysis of the investigative, prosecutorial, and journalistic shortcomings that characterized the aftermath of Freddie Gray's arrest.
Unearthing new details, it reveals the cover-up that has kept the full story from us until now. ‘No Justice, No Peace’ was the rallying cry on Baltimore's streets soon after Gray's death.
This book explains why and how justice was not done, and why the city, and the country, should still feel no peace."—
Stuart Schrader, author of
Badges Without Borders: How Global Counterinsurgency Transformed American Policing"Justine Barron reveals that much of what the public has believed about Gray’s 2015 death at the hands of the Baltimore Police Department is incorrect."—The Appeal
