BALTIMORE (AP) - Baltimore's mayor wants to spend $2 million on a Washington law firm to represent the city during the U.S. Justice Department's civil rights investigation of the police force.
The investigation began as a collaborative review and became a full-scale civil rights investigation after the death of Freddie Gray, who was injured in police custody and then died. Similar investigations elsewhere have exposed problems that lead to costly federal oversight.
The Baltimore Sun reports that Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's spokesman Howard Libit says municipal lawyers are seeking to retain WilmerHale, which has experience dealing with the Justice Department. The spending requires City Council approval.
Some council members say they want more information, but they note that the move could help the city save money in the long run.
