The Baltimore Police Department told the media on Monday that they’ve obtained intelligence information to lead it to believe Baltimore street gangs are putting aside their bitter and bloody feud in order to exact vengeance against law enforcement in light of the death of Freddie Gray.
The BPD said the Bloods, Crips, the Black Guerilla Family and other gangs have vowed to “take out” police officers.
“Law-enforcement agencies should take appropriate precautions to ensure the safety of their officers,” the Baltimore PD press release stated.
The Baltimore Sun reports that the Bloods and Crips have quit fighting each other in order to team up and protest police rampant police brutality. The 25-year-old black male was riding his bike when officers chased him down and arrested him. Somewhere between the time of the apprehension and his arrival at the police precinct, Gray’s spinal cord was snapped or broken. Officers in charge of Gray reportedly delayed in getting Gray medical treatment and he died about a week later.
During one of the demonstrations and marches on city hall, Bloods and the Crips will reportedly march side by side.
“I can say with honesty those brothers demonstrated they can be united for a common good,” said Carlos Muhammad, a minister at Nation of Islam’s Mosque No. 6 told The Sun. “At the rally, they made the call that they must be united on that day. It should be commended.”
On Sunday, Baltimore police announced that 35 people were arrested and six police officers were injured when demonstrations turned violent, NBC news reported.
The unrest prompted a mayoral press conference on Saturday evening, when Gray’s twin sister Fredericka Gray spoke to demonstrators and the press. “My family wants to say, can you all please, please stop the violence?” she pleaded. “Freddie Gray would not want this.”
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake thanked the groups who discouraged violence, including the the Nation of Islam.
“I want to also thank the Nation of Islam, who have been very present in our efforts to keep calm and peace in our city,” she said.