Th
e following is the full text of Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts' internal memo:
I want to update you with the latest developments in the investigation of
the death of Mr. Freddie Gray. Earlier today, we held a press conference at Police Headquarters to update members of the media and the community on the investigation. We will upload the press conference to our social media sites shortly, so you can see exactly what we said today. I urged the media not to rush to judgment and to report the facts as they are.
Currently, a multi-discipline Task Force let by our Force Investigation Team, assisted by the Professional Development and Training Academy, Homicide Section, and Crime Lab continue to work to determine exactly what transpired last week. The investigation is complex and has already unveiled policy and procedural deficiencies. We are moving to address these concerns with new policies and new training.
Today, I met with the officers involved in the incident. I assured them and now I want to assure you, we will follow the facts wherever they take us. The facts, not emotion, will determine the outcome in this case. We will ensure that we will remain transparent without compromising the investigation. Our plan is to be finished with the investigation by next Friday when we will turn our findings over to the State's Attorney's Office for review. We will not jump to conclusions. We will remain transparent with you and the community. This continues to be a difficult time for everyone involved.
I want to urge each of you to not lose focus. We need to continue our fight against crime. Please continue to serve the citizens of our city and continue to look after one another. Have pride in yourself, each other, and this organization as you work to keep the city of Baltimore safe.
Anthony W. Batts
Police Commissioner