There's no backpedaling here.
In an interview with Vogue, Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby made it clear that she meant every single word she uttered at her May press conference, when she announced the charges her office would bring against the six officers who arrested and detained 25-year-old Freddie Gray. That detainment resulted in Gray's death and sparked outrage about police brutality in African-American communities.
It was a tense moment, but Mosby described how she was cool about it and more concerned with getting the job done.
"I don't think I felt the weight of the case stepping up to that podium," Mosby told Vogue. "I was thinking, 'I'm doing the right thing.' "
When asked about the criticism that public opinion compelled Mosby to overcharge the case, Mosby begged to differ. "The unrest had nothing to do with my decision to charge," Mosby said. "I just followed where the facts led. This is not something that was fast, or in a hurry.
"From the time that this incident occurred, we were out there conducting our own investigation and working with the [Baltimore] Police Department. There is nothing that we've done differently in this case," Mosby said.
Mosby wants to help foster a better relationship between law enforcement and working-class communities. And contrary to what some may think, she says she doesn't have a personal vendetta against cops. In fact, she comes from a family of police officers, with her mother, grandfather and uncle among them.
"I'm not conflicted about charging these police officers," she said. "I believe in applying justice fairly and equally, and that is what our system is built upon. That is why I do what I do.”
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Diana Ozemebhoya Eromosele is a staff writer at The Root and the founder and executive producer of Lectures to Beats, a Web series that features video interviews with scarily insightful people. Follow Lectures to Beats on Facebook and Twitter.
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