Officer says he did nothing wrong in Freddie Gray's death

BALTIMORE (AP) — In a pivotal day in the manslaughter trial of one of six officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray, the defendant himself took the stand for more than four hours to try to convince jurors he is a reasonable and responsible police officer who didn't do anything wrong on the day Gray was gravely injured.

William Porter's trial is the first in the most high-profile and high-stakes in-custody death case in the city's recent history, and whether jurors believe his testimony will likely be the deciding factor in determining the verdict.

With no eyewitnesses and no unequivocal evidence as to how and when Gray suffered the spinal injury that killed him, the trial could come down to Porter's word against prosecutor's assertion that he "callously" disregarded Gray's request for medical aid, and intentionally left him unrestrained and vulnerable to injury in the back of the transport van.

Porter was poised and calm as he testified in his own defense Wednesday, telling jurors he didn't call an ambulance for Gray because Gray was alert, appeared uninjured and didn't complain of any pain or wounds.

Porter said he suggested to the van driver, Officer Caesar Goodson, that Goodson take Gray to the hospital because he knew a prisoner claiming injury would be turned away from jail.