Rep. Peter King told
Newsmax TV Friday that Baltimore City Attorney Marilyn Mosby's strong statement in announcing the charges against six police officers in the death of Freddie Gray was "very political" and could damage the first-time prosecutor's case in the long run.
"What happened here was obviously tragic and it demands a full investigation," the New York Republican told "Newsmax Prime" host J.D. Hayworth. "The whole impression generated by the media and by the political people in Baltimore was that it had to be a decision made by a certain date that they didn't want to wait until an exhaustive investigation was done.
"In the end, this could end up hurting the prosecution if they rush too quickly, without getting all the evidence," added King, who is a member of the House Homeland Security Committee.
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But the 12-term congressman, who is considering a run for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, expressed concerns about the environment surrounding Mosby's announcement.
"There is something so unseemly about seeing people demonstrating in the streets, demanding an indictment — then coming out and publicly announcing an indictment and people cheering," King said. "It has too much of an atmosphere of a spectacle."
Mosby, 35, who was elected four months ago, said that the six officers involved in Gray's death would face felony charges that could each bring as much as 10 years in prison. The driver of the van in which Gray, 25, was placed after being handcuffed by police could be sentenced to 30 years if convicted.
The city remains under a curfew imposed Tuesday by Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan after protests following Gray's funeral on Monday turned violent with widespread looting and property fires throughout the community. The 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew was expected to continue through the weekend.
King told Hayworth that while Gray's death was "tragic," that "if it's criminal, the officers have to be prosecuted.
"But people have to realize that criminal prosecutions are generally not carried out in a carnival-type atmosphere," he said. Such an air could be detrimental "for those who are charged and for the system itself.
"In the end, you can rush into something and people who ought to be guilty end up getting off because of the mistakes that are made."
Two other panelists appearing with King were Ron Hosko, former FBI assistant director, and Larry Elder, Newsmax contributor and radio talk-show.
They agreed with the congressman, with Hosko saying that "time is going to tell us all whether the facts really line up behind these charges and they're provable in their current form, whether this case has been over charged and there's a lack of proof.
"The facts will determine the result," he said.
Elder said: "It's far more prudent to bring the case, lose it than not to bring it, and have to defend it later on."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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