The White House declined to weigh in on the acquittal of the highest-ranking officer charged in the death of Freddie Gray, and instead praised the Baltimore Police Department for trying to resolve racial divisions.
“I’m not going to be in a position to talk about individual court proceedings,” presidential press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Monday. “What we have seen is an effort by local police to try to resolve problems with the community.”
“The Department of Justice has been supportive of the efforts in Baltimore to try to address the concerns that are being raised,” he said.
Earnest acknowledged that he is treading carefully because the Justice Department is conducting an ongoing civil rights investigation into the Baltimore Police Department that it initiated after Gray’s death last year. Gray died while in the custody of Baltimore police.
“I don’t want to say anything that could be perceived as influencing that investigation,” he said. “Obviously, what’s happening in Baltimore is indicative of the kind of challenge that other communities across the country are also facing.”
Earnest emphasized the need for communities to follow through on problems related to “policing and equality in our criminal justice system” and not just to raise the issue after incidents occur.
