Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard to respond to the riots in Baltimore city on the day of Freddie Gray's funeral -- the man who died after he was taken into custody by Baltimore police April 19.
Groups gathered across Baltimore city in the morning as protestors have lashed out at Baltimore police and city officials angry over Gray's death and past acts of brutality by police. Violence spread quickly across the city following a standoff by police and protestors outside the Mondawin Mall in Northwest Baltimore.
Video posted on social media has shown individuals throwing rocks at police officers and police responding with tear gas and mace. Looting and destruction of small businesses has occurred at the Mondawin mall and in downtown Baltimore.
Baltimore police cars have been burned as city leaders have urged people to return to their homes.
The Baltimore Orioles canceled a game scheduled for Monday night against the Chicago White Sox after consulting with city safety officials.
Gray died April 19 after he was arrested and loaded into a police van. After the arrest, he suffered injuries to include a severed spine.
Protests have taken place in Baltimore throughout the week with the largest one occurring on Saturday. Businesses were damaged and fights broke out on Saturday near Camden Yards, the Orioles baseball stadium; however, the level of destruction and violence on Monday has not yet been seen.
Hogan along with Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford and Maryland National Guard Adjutant General Linda Singh were scheduled to speak at a press conference Monday night at 8:30 p.m.
-- Michael Hoffman can be reached at mike.hoffman@military.com
![Pete Hegseth shakes hands with Army 1st Lt. Clint Lorance](http://images03.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_large/public/2024-11/ApNewsroom_Trump_Pardon_19401.jpg?itok=rdqmVqvA "Pete Hegseth, left, with Fox News, shakes hands with Army 1st Lt. Clint Lorance during his appearance on "Fox & Friends," Monday, Nov. 18, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)")
