Baltimore officials have reached a $6.4 million settlement in the wrongful death of Freddie Gray, who sustained fatal neck injuries while in police custody in April.
The deal, first reported by the Washington Post and confirmed by NBC News on Tuesday, still needs to be approved by Baltimore’s spending overseer, the Board of Estimates. A vote on the proposal will take place on Wednesday.
The proposed settlement “should not be interpreted as a judgment on the guilt or innocence of the officers facing trial,” according to a statement from Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “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 and potentially cost taxpayers many millions more in damages.”
Related: Six cops in the Freddie Gray case to be tried separately
It comes nearly a week after a judge ruled that the six officers charged in 25-year-old Gray’s death should be tried separately on charges ranging from reckless endangerment to manslaughter and second-degree murder.
Gray’s death, which came days after his April 12 arrest, during which he was transported in a police van where he was handcuffed and wearing no seatbelt, triggered riots across Baltimore. Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced charges against the officers in the case on May 1. This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com
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