Appeal for calm in Baltimore police mistrial of William Porter for Freddie Gray murder

Authorities in Baltimore have appealed for calm after the first effort to convict an officer over the death of a man in a police van ended with a hung jury and a mistrial.

Crowds protested along streets in the Maryland city lined with police but the situation was quiet at the junction where the worst rioting happened in April as parts of West Baltimore were set on fire.

William Porter’s mistrial is a setback for prosecutors trying to respond to a population frustrated by violent crime and allegations of police misconduct.