Black History Matters: Freddie Gray

[Leviathan1]

With our final Black History Matters Event, we have decided to highlight an event that occurred close to our home near Baltimore, Maryland: the arrest and death of Freddie Gray.

On April 12th, 2015, while walking near Baltimore’s Gilmor Homes Housing Project, presumably afraid of an encounter with police, Freddie Gray fled on foot. Historically, there have been tensions between African-Americans and law enforcement officers that patrol and police predominantly black neighborhoods due to generations of discrimination. Baltimore City Police would arrest Gray and drag him into a police van on a charge of illegal possession of a knife misidentified as a switchblade. Bystanders to Freddie Gray’s arrest stated that Gray was seen screaming while being dragged to the police van. After continuing to scream, Gray was removed from the van, placed in leg irons, and put back inside without a seatbelt. It has been suggested that a form of police brutality was used against Gray while in the back of the police van in the form of a rough ride. A rough ride is when a handcuffed prisoner is placed without a seatbelt in an erratically driven vehicle. When police went to remove Gray from the van, 40 minutes after his arrest, police found Gray unresponsive. Police would later admit that Gray repeatedly asked for medical care during the arrest and did not receive it. Doctors later determined that his neck had been broken in a severe spinal cord injury. Gray remained in a coma until his death on April 19th, 2015. Less than two weeks later, on May 1st, 2015, six Baltimore police officers were charged in the death of Freddie Gray. However, none of those officers were convicted. On September 8th, 2015, the city of Baltimore reached a settlement with Freddie Gray’s family for 6.4 million U.S. Dollars. Police brutality or gross negligence in various forms has occurred at an alarming rate against those of African descent. The fight for equality in all areas across the globe is ongoing in the hope that all of humankind can one day be treated as truly equal.​

During the event there will be 25% off Temple upgrades, Forest Expansions, and second slots for Library Technology and Armory upgrades. All upgrades to Generals (excluding General Ironside) will be 33% off.
Event lasts from 14:00 UTC 8/28 until 14:00 UTC 8/31.