The Baltimore police officer charged in Freddy Gray's death was found not guilty on all four charges against him.
Baltimore Police officer Edward Nero has been found not guilty by a judge on all four charges filed against him in the death of Freddie Gray.
Nero, 30, had been charged with second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and two counts of misconduct in connection with the initial stop and arrest of Gray, who suffered extensive spinal injuries while in custody.
Read: Six Police Officers Charged in Death of Freddie Gray
Gray died a week after his arrest in April 2015 and his death ignited days of rioting and violence in Baltimore.
The case was decided Monday by Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams.
Prosecutors contended Nero demonstrated no regard for the 25-year-old's safety when he placed Gray on his stomach, and in shackles, in the back of a police van.
"We believe that the search and arrest without justification are assault, your honor," Deputy State's Attorney Janice Bledsoe replied to the judge's question of whether arrest without probable cause constitutes a crime.
Read: Freddie Gray's Mother Reportedly Tries to Take Her Own Life
Defense lawyer Marc Zayon said his client's actions were legal and that the state's case was "nonsensical."
"I can't believe I even have to argue this. The detention is OK, the cuffing is OK, the moving is OK, he said. "Being detained is a horrible thing, being cuffed is a horrible thing. But the law allows it.
Watch: Was Freddie Gray Taken On A Wild Ride Inside the Police Van?
