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1st LD Writethru: U.S. Attorney General launches probe of Baltimore police

Xinhua, May 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said on Friday that the Justice Department is launching a probe into the Baltimore police to determine whether they have violated constitutional and civil rights in the case of an African American's death.

"Soured relations between the police and the communities they serve is one of the most challenging issues of our time," Lynch said in a press conference, adding that there has been "a serious erosion of public trust."

Lynch, who took office last week, has visited Baltimore and met with city and community leaders in the aftermath of riots and unrest.

The announcement came nearly a month after the death of Freddie Gray, an African American man injured in police custody. The 25-year-old' death sparked protests and riots in the State of Maryland's largest city.

Lynch said that her department's wider investigation is not specifically tied to Gray's case.

"This investigation will begin immediately and will focus on allegations that Baltimore Police Department officers use excessive force, including deadly force, conduct unlawful searches, seizures and arrests, and engage in discriminatory policing," Lynch said.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake on Wednesday requested the Justice Department to investigate the city's police department for civil rights violations after Gray's death to see whether street stops of suspects and arrests violated the U.S. Constitution.

On April 19, Gray, died of a spinal injury believed to have been sustained during or after his arrest the previous week by police. Baltimore's chief prosecutor has brought criminal charges, including one murder charge, against six officers involved in the arrest.

Lynch has vowed to help the city in police reform. On April 21, one day after the most violent night of protests, which witnessed burned business buildings, police cars and lootings, Lynch announced that the Justice Department would launch a federal probe into Gray's death. Endi