Police Officers Sue Baltimore’s Top Prosecutor for Defamation Over Freddie Gray Statements

Two of the Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray are suing State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.

Sgt. Alicia White and Officer William Porter filed a lawsuit against Mosby, Baltimore Sheriff’s Office Maj. Sam Cogen and the state of Maryland in Baltimore circuit court for defamation and invasion of privacy, according to a report by the Baltimore Sun.

The suit goes back to statements made by Mosby at a May 1, 2015 news conference, which White and Porter claim that the city’s top prosecutor knew “were false,” according to the Sun.

“These among other statements were made not for the purpose of prosecuting crimes that had allegedly been committed by White and Porter, but rather for purposes of quelling the riots in Baltimore,” the suit asserts.

A spokeswoman for Mosby declined to comment and the attorney for White and Porter could not be reached by the Sun.

The two are facing charges of involuntary manslaughter in the death of 25-year-old Gray, which shook the city last April. His death sparked vocal protests around Baltimore over police treatment of minorities there. A judge on Monday cleared one officer, Edward Nero, of all criminal charges in the incident, in the first verdict in the six trials since Gray’s death.