Baltimore Police Department Officers Edward Nero, Garrett Miller and Lieutenant Brian Rice remain on administrative duty pending an internal review for their role in Freddie Gray’s death. (MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER)
Three of six police officers previously charged in the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray were met with ear-shattering applause and a standing ovation last Thursday at the conservative Media Research Center’s yearly gala.
According to the New York Daily News, Fox News contributor Deneen Borelli called the trio of disgraced officers — Brian Rice, Edward Nero and Garrett Miller — to the stage to laud them as public heroes who were never thanked “for their service or recognized [for their] honor.”
Gray died in April 2015 after suffering severe spinal cord injuries during a “rough ride” in the rear of a police van. The officers involved in the Baltimore man’s arrest handcuffed him but failed to secure him with a seat belt during his transport to the local jail.
“Immediately someone made the accusation that Freddie Gray had been killed by the police,” Borelli said to the crowd. “The accusation grew and grew — fed by the left, political agitators and the national media — to advance the anti-police narrative. Soon there were riots in the street.”
Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby brought charges against the six officers involved in Gray’s death. The prosecution was unable to secure a single conviction — two of the cases resulted in acquittals while another ended in a mistrial. The prosecution moved to drop the charges against the remaining three officers in July of this year. However, Rice, Edward and Nero remain on administrative duty pending an internal investigation for their role in Gray’s death, the New York Daily News reports.
“These five men and one woman, all veteran police officers, were now in handcuffs, fighting for their lives, their careers destroyed, bankrupted, humiliated,” Borelli said.
“No one apologized for ruining their lives,” she added. “No one thanked them for their service or recognized their honor. Who will thank these officers? Who will thank all police officers … at a time they are being so vilified? Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we will.”
It’s unclear why remaining officers Caesar Goodson Jr., William Porter and Sgt. Alicia White — who are all African-American — weren’t in attendance and/or honored at the event.
Officer Miller delivered a short speech during the gala in which he asked for prayers while bemoaning the supposed hostile police work environment, according to the Daily News.
“Our profession is hurting,” Miller said. “We’re losing officers at an incredible rate. Not just from gunfire, but because they’re tired of it. They quit. Our department is short. Everywhere is short. No one wants to be a police officer anymore.”
The Media Research Center’s public lauding of the officers comes just one month after it was announced that Sgt. White and Officer Porter would receive a combined $167,000 in back pay following their suspensions. According to the Baltimore Sun, the city’s Board of Estimates authorized a payment of $96,855 to White and $70,523 to Porter back in August. Both were cleared of felony manslaughter and other misconduct charges stemming from Gray’s death.
Lt. Rice, the highest-ranking officer in the group, was also entitled to $127,000 in back pay, Atlanta Black Star reports.
