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Lawyer for Freddie Gray's family said DOJ missed key details

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The attorney who represented the family of Freddie Gray said the Department of Justice report on the Baltimore Police Department missed certain details. 

Lawyer Billy Murphy said the report, released Wednesday, failed to address certain issues including retaliation against officers who blew the whistle on bad cops. 

The report criticizes city police, saying officers unconstitutionally discriminated against African Americans, used excessive force and weren't equipped with the tools needed to effectively police.

Murphy believed the report missed an opportunity to detail consequences for those involved in misconduct.

He said the investigation did not "include criminal prosecutions of the officers who have committed crimes such as arresting large numbers of people without probable cause, and then swearing out false statements of charges under oath."

Follow Dakarai Turner on Twitter@Dakarai_Turner and on Facebook.

 

The report led to the signing of an "agreement in principal" entered into between the police department, city officials and the Justice Department. The agreement sets preliminary areas of reform, which will eventually lead to a legally-binding consent decree, and will be overseen by an independent monitor.

Ray Kelly, a member of the No Boundaries Coalition, and who has worked with residents and police while helping form legislation on the reform issue, said the report is merely the beginning of rebuilding damaged relationships.

"It's definitely not a silver bullet or some kind of panacea that's going to come in and solve everything," he said, "but it's definitely a valuable tool for advocates."

The city, the police department, and DOJ officials hope to have an agreement finalized by Nov. 1.

Related Headlines:

DOJ releases report on Baltimore Police

Startling numbers in federal report on Baltimore Police

Investigation finds BPD used discriminatory practices, made unconstitutional arrests

Congressman astounded by Baltimore police report

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