Fourth Officer Charged with Freddie Gray Death Opts for Bench Trial

The fourth—and highest-ranking—Baltimore police officer charged with Freddie Gray’s death has waived his rights to having a jury trial.

USA TODAY reports that attorneys for Lt. Brian Rice told officials that the officer had instead chosen to have a judge decide his fate.

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Rice was on bicycle patrol on April 12, 2015, when he spotted Gray. When Gray fled, Rice called out to two other officers for backup. The officers arrested Gray and placed him unsecured in the back of a police van, where he sustained a broken back. Gray succumbed to his injuries a week later.

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Rice has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, assault, reckless endangerment and official misconduct. He is currently out on $350,000 bail.

He will be the fourth officer to stand trial for Gray’s death. Two other officers were acquitted of all charges, while the other trial resulted in a hung jury.