U.S. launches probe into death of black man in police custody

The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday launched a civil rights investigation into the death of a African-American man who suffered spine injuries and lapsed into a coma after his arrest by local police.

Freddie Gray, 25, died Sunday, a week after he was arrested on April 12 on a weapons charge in Baltimore, Maryland.

According to a cell phone video which recorded the arrest, Gray was being pinned to the ground and then bundled into a police van. He is heard screaming on the video.

But police authorities said none of the six officers involved in the case, who have been suspended, described any use of force, NBC news reported.

The video has triggered several days of protests in Baltimore and the city's Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said she was "angry" and "frustrated" and promised a thorough investigation.

The police department's probe will be completed by May 1, and findings will be turned over to the city's chief prosecutor, who will determine whether to bring criminal charges in state court. Endite