That "he broke his own spine while in the van flinging himself around in there" story was one of the most ridiculous things I've heard from this whole thing, and it's amazing that so many people (not isolating here, around the Internet in general) tried to cling to that as some sort of "actual reality."
It's also rather crazy that 10,000 people were peacefully protesting there for a week because of a tipping point of the many, many documented cases of police brutality there over the years, and 2 city blocks erupt into chaos for an afternoon, and THAT'S what some people and a lot the media decide to focus on instead. The peaceful protests were barely covered that whole time - instead, the two blocks were shown over and over again on the news and on front pages the second it started.
On top of that, the chaos started when the police cut off access to public/school transportation in the middle of protests, as kids/teens were being let out of school, leaving them all on the streets and forced to find their own way home, basically, starting a chaotic situation in that area. Which was relatively contained, with residents and even some of the rioters helping to clean up after the next day.
Finally:
The death of Freddie Gray was a homicide, and six Baltimore police officers now face criminal charges that include second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, Baltimore chief prosecutor Marilyn J. Mosby says.
Mosby announced the charges Friday morning, citing her office's "thorough and independent" investigation and the medical examiner's report on Gray's death. She said warrants were issued Friday for the officers' arrest.
The city's recently elected state's attorney, Mosby detailed a range of charges against the officers, with offenses ranging from one count of second-degree murder and four counts of involuntary manslaughter to assault and misconduct in office.
The most severe charges are leveled against Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr., identified as the driver of the van that transported Gray to a police station. The charges against Goodson include second-degree depraved heart murder, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
The investigation by the prosecutor's office found there had been no reason to detain Gray — and that his arrest was in itself illegal, Mosby said. She said the knife that police officers found on Gray turned out to be legal.
After announcing the charges, Mosby noted her own ties to the police community — including her mother, father and grandfather, who were police officers. She thanked officers who are committed to serving the community.
We'll have more details from the announcement and any documents released by the prosecutor's office.