BALTIMORE — While the state police requested the back up of 5,000 officers from around Maryland to augment the Baltimore police department forces against unrestrained urban rage, Mayor Stephanie Rawlins-Blake articulated her disappointment that peaceful demonstrations spiraled into violence and destruction.
Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard as rioting, looting and flames engulf the city hours after Freddie Gray, the man died from a broken neck while in police custody, was laid to rest.
The mayor of Baltimore said every possible resource was being deployed to “gain control of this situation.”
“What we see tonight that is going on in our city is very disturbing,” Rawlings-Blake told reporters during a press conference. “Too many people have spent generations building up this city for it to be destroyed by thugs who — in a very senseless way — are trying to tear down what so many have fought for.”
She announced that the city will impose a mandatory curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily, effective for one week starting Tuesday. The mayor also promised to hold those responsible for the violence accountable. The mayor and the Baltimore Orioles decided to postpone Monday’s baseball game, which was less than a mile from the site of mass demonstrations where some resorted to setting police cars and businesses on fire while looting others.
Rawlings-Blake said that 15 officers were injured while trying to. Two remain hospitalized, and the others have been released. Most were hurt by flying debris in the violence that DeSousa described as “unprecedented.”
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