Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said Friday that she was "sickened and heartbroken" listening to the statement of charges brought by State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby against six Baltimore police officers who took part in the arrest of Freddie Gray.
Delivering a statement at City Hall, the grim-faced mayor said she has told Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts to immediately suspend the charged officers without pay. She said five of the six were already in custody as she spoke about 1:20 p.m.
The mayor praised the vast majority of police officers for their "courage and honor," and said there is no place for racism or other improper behavior.
"To those of you who want to engage in brutality, misconduct, racism and corruption, let me be clear: There is no place for you in the Baltimore City Police Department," she said
Rawlings-Blake pledged to "continue to be relentless in changing the culture of the police department."
She left immediately after speaking for less than two minutes and took no questions from the news media.