April 2015

Walter Scott, 50, was shot five times in the back and killed by North Charleston, South Carolina officer Michael Slager after a traffic stop for a broken taillight. Bystander video showed Scott fleeing and Slager firing eight shots. Slager was charged with murder after the video emerged, pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges in 2017, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Following Freddie Gray's death, Baltimore erupted in protests beginning April 25, 2015. After his April 27 funeral, large-scale unrest broke out in Sandtown-Winchester and across the city. Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency; the National Guard was deployed. The uprising focused national attention on Baltimore's history of discriminatory policing, redlining, and disinvestment.

Freddie Gray, 25, died on April 19, 2015, a week after being arrested by Baltimore police who gave him an unsecured 'rough ride' in a police van, severing his spine. Six officers were charged; all were acquitted or had charges dropped. The death sparked days of uprising in Baltimore. A DOJ investigation found the Baltimore Police Department engaged in a pattern of unconstitutional stops, excessive force, and discriminatory enforcement against Black residents.

North Charleston, SC police officer Michael Slager shot Walter Scott, 50, five times in the back as Scott fled on foot following a traffic stop. Bystander Feidin Santana's cellphone video contradicted Slager's initial account that he feared for his life. Slager was charged with murder; a state mistrial was declared. He later pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The video evidence was critical to achieving accountability.

Gray's death in police custody triggers protests in Baltimore.