on april 12, 2015, freddie carlos gray, jr (august 16, 1989 – april 19, 2015), a 25 year old african-american man from baltimore, maryland, was arrested by the baltimore police department for having what police thought was an illegal switchblade. while being transported in a police van, gray fell into a coma and had to be taken to a local trauma center as a result of the officers not securing him in the van.