Protests continue in Baltimore against overuse of police force

As protests continue for days in Baltimore, Maryland, against the overuse of police force surrounding the death of a 25-year-old black man in local police van, the city's mayor on Friday demanded answers to the incident.

"This is absolutely unacceptable, and I want answers," said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake after meeting with protesters calling for justice in the death of Freddie Gray, who died Sunday following an April 12 arrest on a weapons charge.

Rawlings-Blake said she wanted to know why none of the officers immediately called for medical assistance and why "policies for transport" were not followed.

"In order for us to have justice and not just seek justice, we have to respect this process," Rawlings-Blake said, referring to the Baltimore Police Department investigation into Gray's death, which is expected to be turned over to prosecutors on May 1.

Meanwhile, police authorities said there are no excuses for the fact that Gray was not buckled in as he was transported.

Gray was not buckled into a seat in the back of a police van while being transported following his arrest, Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said Friday afternoon during a press conference on questions over what happened that had left the Baltimore man with a broken back.

The admission comes two days after a police union attorney spoke of the possibility that the injuries occurred during a " rough ride," a frequently claimed practice in which police vehicles are deliberately driven in such a way to cause injury to suspects.

Baltimore Police Department rules, updated nine days before Gray's arrest, state that detainees must be seat belted during transportation.

At the news conference, Batts also addressed calls for his resignation following Gray's death, saying he would not step down.

Anger and irritation over the incident and the police response to it continued to grow ahead of a major rally that organizers vowed would "shut this city down on Saturday."

But the major organizer, the Black Lawyers for Justice, promised that the protests would be peaceful, much as they were Thursday night despite a few scuffles and two detentions.

According to The Baltimore Sun, the city has paid about 5.7 million dollars over the past four years to settle more than 100 cases of allegations of police wrongdoing. The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday launched a civil rights investigation into the death of Gray.