A Baltimore jury was one vote away from acquitting Police Officer William Porter of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Freddie Gray, the most serious charge he faced, according to sources, the Baltimore Sun reports.
The case ultimately ended in a mistrial because the jury deadlocked last month on all four of Porter’s charges. According to the Sun, jurors were two votes away from convicting Porter of misconduct in office, and were even more divided on charges of assault and reckless endangerment.
Porter was the first officer facing criminal charges in Gray's death to stand trial, in a case that has sparked nationwide outrage and protests.
One juror, who agreed to be interviewed by the Sun but asked to remain anonymous, said that some on the panel were driven to tears during deliberations and after the decision. The juror said that the inability of the jury to reach a verdict was a burden on their minds.
The jury consisted of four black women, three black men, three white women and two white men, the Sun notes.
"I was very touched by the passion that many jurors brought to their arguments," the juror said, adding that they were "heartfelt in their duty."
The juror said they voted 8-2 in favor of acquittal on second-degree assault, with two jurors undecided, and voted 10-1 in favor of conviction for misconduct in office, with one juror undecided. For the reckless-endangerment charge, they split 7-3 in favor of conviction, with two jurors undecided.
"This was the vote that was on the board when the jury conceded to deadlock," the juror said. "Had we continued discussions, there's great likelihood that the numbers could have switched, but I couldn't say which way."
Porter faces another trial in June.
Read more at the Baltimore Sun.