City Calling For Peace Ahead Of Verdict In First Freddie Gray Trial

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- As Officer William Porter's trial winds down, calls for peace in the wake of the verdict are ramping up.

Rick Ritter has more from city leaders who are trying to get ahead of any potential problems.

Police continue to say they have no problem with protests or demonstrations and they won't monitor or follow them as long as they remain lawful, but violence and destruction will not be tolerated.

In the midst of the first trial, strong words from Baltimore's top leaders.

"We need everyone in our city to respect the judicial process," said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

Both the mayor and police commissioner waste no time in calling for peaceful reactions to the verdict from Officer Porter's trial.

"We have to respect their opinion. We don't have to agree with it at all. That's not what this is about," the mayor said.

Joined by community leaders Wednesday, the city cites new training and new state of the art riot equipment that has police prepared for whatever unfolds.

"We view our role as a police department as one that keeps the peace during protests," said Commissioner Kevin Davis, Baltimore City Police Department.

...Adding that a repeat of April's turmoil will not be tolerated.

"We're not going to allow homes to be destroyed, businesses to be destroyed, police officers to be hurt," Commissioner Davis said.

With the first trial moving quicker than most expected, one group of protesters says they're sending out an emergency email, putting demonstrators on standby for the verdict.

Sharon Black and Peoples Power Assembly says they'll protest both Thursday morning and night.

"We're more worried that if there isn't justice in this case, that there will be more police abuse," said Black.

Munir Bahar with the 300 Man March says the city must learn from its recent past, as many anxiously await a verdict.

"What we had during the unrest was nothing about justice. People were destroying people and things around the city. That is not a fight for justice," said Bahar.

The same barriers that were outside city police headquarters in April and May are back out again, as we inch closer to a verdict.

Two protests are planned for Thursday outside the Mitchell Courthouse.