BALTIMORE—Police made 34 arrests after protests over the death of Freddie Gray turned violent Saturday evening, as some protesters damaged several police cars and broke windows at a number of downtown businesses, officials said.
Authorities said six police officers suffered minor injuries in the fracas, which prompted officials to briefly hold baseball fans at nearby Camden Yards, where the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox were playing. At downtown intersections, protesters stood facing officers who had put on helmets after police were pelted by water bottles and other objects.
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said she was “profoundly disappointed” by the violent outbursts after a week of peaceful marches held to protest the death of 25-year-old Mr. Gray, who suffered a fatal spine injury while in police custody.
“I’m grateful to the many demonstrators who sought to make their concerns heard in a peaceful and respectful manner,” she said Saturday evening in a televised news conference. “Unfortunately, a small group of agitators intervened and turned what was otherwise a peaceful demonstration into a violent protest.”
Mr. Gray’s twin sister, Fredericka, speaking alongside the mayor, said, “Please, please stop the violence. Freddie Gray would not want this.”
On Sunday, Ms. Rawlings-Blake’s office released a “call for peace” signed by two dozen Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders in the city. Among the signers was the Rev. Harold Carter of New Shiloh Baptist Church, where Mr. Gray’s funeral is scheduled for Monday morning.
Police said there weren’t any protests in the city on Sunday as of mid-afternoon, and a wake for Mr. Gray went off without incident.
Officials didn’t release details of the 34 people who were arrested. “We’re not out of control,” Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said Saturday night, noting that more than 1,200 officers were on duty.
Earlier, a crowd of protesters estimated by fire officials at more than 1,200 rallied at City Hall. Marchers started off in West Baltimore, where Mr. Gray was arrested April 12 after running from a police officer when the two made eye contact in an area known for drug dealing, officials have said. When they caught him, officers allegedly found a switchblade in his pants pocket and took him into custody.
Police officials said Friday there are still significant gaps in their investigation of how Mr. Gray, who was African-American, got hurt. “We don’t have an accurate picture,” Mr. Batts said at a news conference.
Mr. Batts backed away from earlier assertions by officials that Mr. Gray’s injuries occurred during the time he spent in a police van after his arrest. He said it is possible he was hurt when officers detained him after a chase and while he was in the van, handcuffed and in leg irons.
A lawyer for Mr. Gray’s family has said his spine was nearly severed at his neck and that he had three broken vertebrae. After the ride in the police van, Mr. Gray was taken to a hospital, where he fell into a coma, underwent surgery and died on April 19.
“We know he was not buckled in the transportation wagon as he should have been. No excuses for that, period,” Mr. Batts said. “We know our police employees failed to get him medical attention in a timely manner, multiple times.”
Officials previously said Mr. Gray was observed having trouble breathing in the van. After he was apprehended, he asked for an inhaler but received no medical help. One police official said Mr. Gray should have received treatment at the time of his arrest.
Six police officers have been suspended with pay, and five have given statements to police.
The U.S. Justice Department has launched a civil-rights investigation into Mr. Gray’s death. By Friday, the police department’s own findings will be turned over to the city’s chief prosecutor, Marilyn Mosby, who will determine whether to bring criminal charges in state court.
On Saturday, Gene Ryan, president of the Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3, criticized Mr. Batts and other police officials for their comments at the Friday news conference.
“These comments appear to be politically driven and in direct contrast to the commissioner’s own request not to jump to any conclusions until the entire investigation is complete,” he said in a statement. “We believe in the Rule of Law and continue to believe that our officers, like all American citizens, are innocent until proven guilty.”
Write to Scott Calvert at scott.calvert@wsj.com
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