The man who police initially claimed corroborated their story regarding Freddie Gray’s extensive injuries is now contradicting the narrative.
Donta Allen, the person who was picked up in the same police van as Gray, spoke out yesterday saying police used him to “cover their ass,” twisting his words to make it seem like Gray caused his own injuries.
In an internal police document obtained by the Washington Post, a police investigator wrote that Allen had told them Gray was “banging against the walls” and “was intentionally trying to injure himself.”
“All I did was go straight to the station, but I heard a little banging like he was banging his head,” Allen told WJZ, explaining he couldn’t see Gray because of a metal partition.
“And they trying to make it seem like I told them that, I made it like Freddie Gray did that to hisself (sic),” Allen said. “Why the [expletive] would he do that to hisself (sic)?”
Allen says police tried to use him to cover up the fact they failed to render aid to Gray.
“They waited 30 to 35 minutes to get [Gray] some medical attention because they want to cover their ass,” Allen told WBAL-TV. “So now, since they can’t cover their ass on that, they’re trying to use me to cover their ass.”
The man also says he came forward because he feared police may try to take his life.
“I had two options today right, either come and talk to y’all and get my credibility straight with ya’ll and not get killed by these [expletive] or not tell a true story,” Allen told the media. “The only reason I’m doing this is because they put my name in a bad state.”
Six officers were charged in the case today after a state medical examiner’s report this morning ruled Gray’s death a homicide.
“The findings of our comprehensive, thorough, and independent investigation coupled with the ME’s determination that Mr. Gray’s death was a homicide which we received today, has led us to believe that we have probable cause to file criminal charges,” Baltimore City State Attorney Marilyn Mosby said.
Gray died on April 12 from injuries ranging from a shattered vertebrae and broken spine, to a snapped leg and crushed larynx.
Watch a re-enactment of what police say happened in the van.
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