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Change of Venue Request for Police in Freddie Gray Case

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BALTIMORE (AP) - Attorneys for six Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray are asking a judge to move their case out of Baltimore, arguing it will be impossible to select an impartial jury and receive a fair trial.

The officers face charges ranging from assault to second-degree "depraved-heart" murder.

Gray's death April 19 prompted a wave of protests that on two occasions gave way to violence, looting and arson. The U.S. Justice Department announced it's conducting an investigation of the city police department.

In a lengthy motion filed Wednesday, the defense attorneys argue that, among other reasons, because every Baltimorean was under an emergency curfew to control the unrest, "an insurmountable prejudice" exists.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.