Maryland Governor Lifts State Of Emergency In Baltimore

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has ended a state of emergency in Baltimore imposed after the riots and looting that followed the funeral of Freddie Gray, the black man who, after his arrest, suffered a spine injury and died a week later.

Hogan said Wednesday that all of the National Guard troops and state police called in April 27 to restore order in Baltimore have been withdrawn. The violence saw shops looted, cars burned and about 100 officers wounded.

"When we arrived on Monday night, the city was on fire, homes and businesses were being burned, looted and ransacked, police were being attacked and injured," Hogan said. "We responded quickly."

His announcement came the same day Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake asked the U.S. Justice Department to begin a civil rights investigation into the city's police department.

The investigation is "probably a step in the right direction," Hogan said.

Last week, Baltimore's chief prosecutor, Marilyn Mosby, announced criminal charges against the six officers involved in Gray's arrest. On May 3, two days later, Rawlings-Blake lifted a 10 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew in the city.