All told, 160 Baltimore police officers were injured in the riots in after the death of Freddie Gray, from an injury he sustained while in police custody. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said a lack of shields and body armor that limited officers’ tactical choices is at least partly to blame.
So, in case Baltimore sees more unrest, say after verdicts are handed down in the trial of the six police officers involved in Freddie Gray’s arrest and transport, Rawlings-Blake has promised to order more riot gear, the Baltimore Sun reports.
In addition, the mayor said that the department’s riot gear will now undergo periodic inspection after untested shields failed back in April, and all transport vans will be equipped with cameras that can record footage
