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News Wrap: Protests Continue in Gray Death; MD ACLU Weighs In

Protests Continue Over Freddie Gray's Death 

More protests took place last night and more are planned as Baltimoreans demand justice in the police custody death of Freddie Gray. On Wednesday evening, more than 100 people gathered at the Ames Memorial United Methodist Church in West Baltimore for a prayer vigil and walk through the neighborhood. Demonstrators blocked several intersections while protesting.

A rally held this afternoon at Presbury and North Mount Streets was organized by two groups, the Baltimore People's Power Assembly and the Baltimore chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The groups were expected to announce that civil rights investigator Terence Jones will lead an independent investigation into the death Gray. A prayer service for Gray is also planned tonight at Sharon Baptist Church in Baltimore. Other protests took place at City Hall and the Western District police station.

Fraternal Order of Police President Gene Ryan drew outrage in some corners yesterday by comparing the protesters to a "lynch mob." In a statement, Ryan said, "The images seen on television look and sound much like a lynch mob in that they care calling for the immediate imprisonment of these officers without them ever receiving the due process.”

Police Commissioner Anthony Batts has set a May 1 deadline for the internal investigation into Gray’s death, and the U.S. Justice Department is looking into possible civil rights violations. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan says he will not ask the state's attorney general or state police to get involved in the city’s investigation. In an interview with the Baltimore Sun, Hogan said he didn't want to "politicize" the issue and is confident Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby will thoroughly investigate the case.

Police also say a second person who was in the prisoner transport wagon with Gray is a witness in a criminal investigation and his name will not be released. Surveillance video from the area of Gilmor Homes has been uploaded to social media and all available video is being reviewed. 

ACLU Issues Statement On Police Custody Death 

The Maryland ACLU is weighing in on the police custody death of Freddie Gray. The group says from what it's seen, Gray's death and the way it's been handled captures the fundamental injustices of policing in America and why communities of color don't trust police. The ACLU says the deaths of Gray and others are not just the product of a few 'bad apples' or bad decisions, but are structural. The ACLU says policing must be transformed through independent and transparent investigations that include community review. 

Family Issues Statement On Weinstein Death 

The Maryland family of an American hostage killed accidentally during a U.S. counterterrorism operation says it's devastated by the news. Elaine Weinstein, the wife of Warren Weinstein, said the Rockville family was hopeful that those in the U.S. and Pakistani governments with the power to take action and secure his release would have done everything possible to do so. She said while they do not fully understand all of the facts surrounding Weinstein's death, they understand the U.S. government will conduct an independent investigation.  

Hagerstown Woman Sentenced For Supplying Deadly Heroin

A Hagerstown woman who admits to supplying the heroin that killed a man has learned her fate. A federal judge yesterday sentenced Heather Koons to more than three years in federal prison.  According to her plea agreement, Koons supplied about a gram of heroin to two people in October 2012 and one of them, Daniel Shorten, died later that day of an overdose. 

Heroin Use Rising 

A new federal study says heroin use has been rising steadily since 2007. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says almost 700,000 people use heroin, and most are adults age 26 or older. The study says that as of 2013, there were more than 30,,000 teenage heroin users in the U.S.

Strong Winds Bring Down Trees 

Strong winds associated with a cold front are blamed for bringing down trees throughout the Baltimore area. In Baltimore County, a tree fell across wires and hit a car yesterday afternoon on Falls Road, and York Road was closed due to downed wires that were sparking. In Bel Air, winds caused several trees to topple, damaging a children's center, according to storm report from the National Weather Center. 

Maryland Casinos Fined

Horseshoe Casino Baltimore will pay $8,000 dollars and Maryland Live will pay $1,000 dollars in sanctions to settle allegations that they allowed underage customers inside. They are among four Maryland casinos with which state gambling regulators have reached consent agreements to address a recurring problem for casinos. 

16th Annual Spring Cleanup Kicks Off in Park Heights

City officials will join Parks Heights Community leaders on Saturday morning to kick off the 2015 Mayor’s Spring Cleanup. The group will meet at 9 a.m. at the corner of Park Heights Ave. and Keyworth Ave. to support a community-led effort to clean part of the Northwest Baltimore community. More than 4,000 citizen volunteers have committed to clean neighborhoods, parks, waterways, and communities throughout the City of Baltimore. Following the ceremony, community volunteers will clean the lot and alleys at Parks Heights and Keyworth and then clean along a three-block area, culminating at the Derby Key Greenspring Community Park.

Blue Jays Double Up O's 

Devon Travis' two-run homer in the fifth inning held up as the Blue Jays doubled up the Orioles 4-2 in Toronto. Jimmy Parades hit a two-run homer in the third for Baltimore, which dropped its third straight. Ubaldo Jimenez allowed both homers in five frames to suffer the loss and fall to 1-and-1. 

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