breaking news tonight from baltimore, six police officers charged as the death of freddie gray is ruled a homicide. alleged crimes including second-degree murder and manslaughter. tonight, a swift and stunning announcement from the top prosecutor in charge describing an illegal arrest, a fatal iury inside that police van and the repeated failure to get help despite pleas from the prisoner inside. late reaction tonight from the people taking to the streets, the police union. and we'll sit down with the prosecutor bringing those charges. also new developments in the bridge scandal swirling around new jersey governor chris christie. three former allies charged with intentionally triggering a traffic nightmare. "nightly news" begins

right now. this is "nbc nightly news" reporting tonight from baltimore lester holt. good evening. from the shadow of baltimore city hall a dramatic week of riots and peaceful protests even like some taking out right now. this culminated today in a swift, stunning announcement from the city's top prosecutor declaring that the death of freddie gray amounted to murder and manslaughter and charging six baltimore police officers in connection with his death. state's attorney marilyn mosby saying even gray's arrest was illegal. the charges met with both celebrations and accusations of a rush to judgment. we have full coverage starting with nbc's peter alexander. >> reporter: what followed freddie gray's videotaped arrest the baltimore state's attorney says was homicide. >> we have probable cause to file criminal charges. >> reporter: the stunning announcement less than five days after riots ravaged the city's streets.

marilyn mosby says she spoke to gray's family this week. >> i assured his family that no one is above the law and that i would pursue justice on their behalf. >> reporter: detailing the events of april 12th baltimore's chief prosecutor says gray never should have been arrested. that a knife found in the 25-year-old's pocket was closed and legal. >> lieutenant rice officer miller and officer narrow failed to establish probable cause for mr. gray's arrest as no crime had been committed by mr. gray. >> reporter: mosby says police repeatedly denied medical attention to gray including when he was arrested complaining he couldn't breathe and asking for an inhaler. minutes later gray already handcuffed was taken out of the van and placed in leg restraints then loaded back in head first on to the floor. >> mr. gray suffered a severe and critical neck injury as a result of being handcuffed shackles by his feet and unrestrained inside of the bpd wagon. >> reporter: the van then stops so an officer could check on gray caught by surveillance cameras, but again no medical

help. minutes later mosby says another stop where gray struggling to breathe twice asked for a medic. >> mr. gray at that time requested help and indicated that he could not breathe. officer porter asked mr. gray if he needed a medic at which time mr. gray indicated at least twice that he was in need of a medic. >> reporter: by the fourth stop where officers picked up another prisoner the prosecutor says gray was unresponsive. >> despite mr. gray's seriously deteriorating medical condition, no medical assistance was rendered or summoned for mr. gray at that time by any officer. >> reporter: exactly 45 minutes after gray's arrest she says the van arrived at the western district police station and a medic was finally called. no longer breathing and suffering cardiac arrest gray was taken to the university of maryland's shock trauma center where he died one week later. the six officers including a lieutenant and a sergeant are all accused of assault and misconduct four are

also charged with involuntary manslaughter three with false imprisonment. and facing the most serious charges including second-degree murder the police van's driver, officer caesar goodson jr. >> today is a momentous step for justice for freddie. >> reporter: the police union demanding a special prosecutor calling mosby's decision an egregious rush to judgment. >> let me state in no uncertain terms that lieutenant rice and all of the officers involved at all times acted reasonably and in accordance with their training as baltimore police officers. we believe that these officers will be vindicated as they have done nothing wrong. >> reporter: up next a preliminary hearing legal experts tell us it can be very difficult to convict police officers. and tonight anticipating the potential for new tensions, baltimore police lester have ordered all police travel in pairs. >> all right. peter, thanks very much. ron allen is across town where people are reacting to this news. a different feeling

there tonight than some of the tense scenes we have come to see this week. >> reporter: at the epicenter of protests not far from where freddie gray lived and died today a huge outpouring of joy and relief. juan grant, freddie gray's brother-in-law says the fight continues. are you satisfied? >> no. no. >> reporter: you're not satisfied? >> far from satisfied. they haven't been convicted of anything yet. >> reporter: but this is a big step. >> but this is a big step. >> reporter: pastor jamal bryant delivered the eulogy at gray's funeral. did you think you were going to get here today? >> absolutely not. america's going to be in shock therapy tonight to see the mugshots of police officers on television. >> reporter: heavily armed police are keeping close watch, shields and weapons lowered. a dramatic contrast to the confrontations with protesters demanding justice and police enforcing a curfew. >> we witness and this is the thing, i'm hoping that we're able to do is make baltimore a model for

the nation. >> reporter: but the grievances and mistrust of police run deep. young men like tony washington who admits he's had trouble with the law, still doubts the six officers will ever be convicted of a crime. >> it's all formal. yeah they're going to go through with it and then say not guilty. >> reporter: but for this moment now there seems to be a truce between the community feeling vindication and the police. you think things are going to get better? >> of course. >> reporter: of course? >> of course it's going to get better. you know what goes up must come back down. and what goes down goes back up. >> reporter: all continues to be peaceful. there have been no arrests, no confrontations and it remains to be seen whether police will try to enforce a curfew at 10:00 p.m. again tonight. lester. >> ron allen, thanks. just a few nights ago here in baltimore on "nightly news" i noted that there are communities here that feel invisible and unheard. but tonight many in

the city's african-american community believe that has changed. some going so far as to call the announcement of today's charges historic. the five-term u.s. congressman and former head of the naacp says it's an important message here in his hometown. >> i think what it says to them is that not only do we see you, but we hear you. we understand your pain. we're not judging, but we are going to pursue justice. >> reporter: there are a lot of hard working cops out there who do a tough job every day. does this send a message that undermines the average cop that's doing his job out there? >> this is not an indictment of all police. you know all of us realize that we have good police officers men and women who get up every day in their home put on a badge and uniform and go out and patrol our communities. they treat us with respect, they treat us with a sense of dignity and they treat us with a sense of worth. unfortunately those good officers get painted with a broad

brush here. >> reporter: data is hard to come by but nationwide black americans face higher rates of arrest for many crimes. according to a 2014 analysis by usa today, at least 70 police departments from connecticut to california arrested black people at a rate ten times higher than people who are not black. >> i grew up on these streets. i have family that lived across the street here. i've seen now for 66 years in this city what can happen when things work. and i know personally what happens when they don't. and i know how young people grow up believing that this is just the way it's going to be. >> reporter: families like latish walker's. >> my youngest is actually afraid to leave the house. >> reporter: have you ever been afraid of the police? >> yes. >> reporter: what are you afraid of? >> i'm pretty scared. >> reporter: that's sad. that's sad. >> it really makes you want to cry because you want your child to be able to walk outside and feel safe and feel like they're

important and that they're worthy. and when they're afraid of the very people that are supposed to protect them what do you do? you know? like how do you -- like how do you tell your child how to behave when they're not doing anything wrong in the first place? his fear is justified. and i don't know how to make that go away for him. >> reporter: and as for the unrest here in baltimore this week latish walker wonders if it made the difference. >> it was the riot that got the world's attention. and had it not been for that we don't know if that put pressure on them we don't know. >> and it is not lost on anyone. there are a lot of police officers in this city who are hurting tonight as well. they don't want to be known for all of this. i encountered some of them grim faced as they stand the police lines around city hall. i asked them how they were doing, a few gave me a thumbs up. a few said we're

hanging in there. meantime all eyes tonight focused on the youngest top prosecutor of any major city in america, 35-year-old marilyn mosby, the daughter and granddaughter of police officers the recently elected state's attorney of baltimore who is leading the case against these officers. nbc's kristen welker sat down with her late today to discuss her decision. >> reporter: when baltimore state's attorney marilyn mosby stepped into the spotlight today, she stood on the shoulders of a long line of law enforcement. her mother father and grandfather among many family members who served as police officers and influenced her decision to follow them. you spoke to your mom today. >> i did. >> reporter: what did she say to you? >> she said she was proud of me. >> reporter: at 35 mosby is the youngest chief prosecutor of a major american city but her age has never stopped her. and today she took on her critics, the fraternal order of police citing mosby's ties to freddie gray's

family attorney and her husband's seat on the baltimore city council representing the gray family called on her to step aside and appoint an independent special prosecutor. why not appoint an independent prosecutor? >> my husband is a public servant and so am i. he makes the laws. i enforce them. there is no conflict of interest. >> reporter: and mosby insisted even though people have been protesting gray's death in baltimore for days she felt no pressure to rush to judgment. >> i'm a prosecutor. my job is to follow the facts and apply them to the elements of the law. >> reporter: but this mother of two young girls says she does feel the trust is broken between the community and police. and that fueled the violent night of protests earlier this week. >> as a mom i was very concerned. this is happening right outside my door. >> reporter: mosby says now she's focused on letting the legal process play out and hopes this moment will help right decades of wrongs. >> our time is now to reclaim our communities, to get engaged, to get into

the political process. it begins today. >> reporter: kristen welker nbc news baltimore. we want to turn now to a story roaring back into the headlines tonight. the so-called bridgegate scandal involving the office of new jersey governor chris christie. the political scheme that caused a traffic jam on the george washington bridge led to criminal governor's former allies. and while it is not been linked directly to christie it has cast a shadow over his potential run for president. nbc's stephanie gosk has the details. >> no cars are coming our way. >> reporter: in september 2014 for four straight days the traffic on the george washington bridge was a nightmare. trapping commuters, school kids and emergency responders. today, former port authority official david wildstein, a new jersey governor chris christie appointee admitted it was done on purpose. >> delivered a deliberate scheme to reduce the access lanes from three to one in order to punish

the mayor for not endorsing governor christie's re-election. >> reporter: pled guilty to two counts of conspiracy as part of a plea deal while his alleged co-conspirators, christie's former deputy chief of staff bridget kelly and bill baroni indicted on nine charges. waited for the first day of school to maximize disruption and then repeatedly ignored the mayor's concerns about public safety. wildstein says he got the order from kelly in an e-mail. time for some traffic problems in ft. lee. >> david wildstein is a liar. >> reporter: kelly breaking her silence for the first time in 16 months both shee and baroni deny the charges. >> i never ordered or conspired with david wildstein to close or realign lanes at the bridge for any reason. additionally for the indictment to suggest that i was the only person in the governor's office who was aware of the

george washington bridge issue is ludicrous. >> reporter: governor christie responded in a statement, today's charges make clear that what i've said from day one is true. i had no knowledge or involvement in the planning or execution of this act. christie spent the morning in virginia with business leaders. damage to a possible presidential campaign may be unavoidable. >> i think this makes the presidential campaign which has already been an uphill battle battle the climb is now steeper today. >> reporter: after court wildstein's lawyer repeated a damaging claim. >> mr. christie knew of the lane closures while they were occurring. and evidence exists to establish that. >> reporter: federal prosecutors say based on the evidence they have gathered during their extensive investigation they are not going to charge anyone else. stephanie gosk nbc news newark new jersey. there's a lot more ahead here tonight. the big decisions happening all across the country today, where to go to college and how to pay for it. we'll tell you about

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finally tonight, the turmoil here in baltimore as seen through the city's youngest eyes. grade schoolers trying to cope with the things they are witnessing around them events that defy easy explanation for the young innocents caught up in them. nbc's rehema ellis takes us into the classroom. >> made me frightened. at the house there was a car on fire. >> i was upset when they lootsed the stores. i was angry when they smashed and burned up stores. >> reporter: heartfelt essays from students in edgewood elementary in baltimore about how the violence in their city has effected them. >> go around messing up everything. and then what do you have for yourself? >> reporter: for students across the city a teachable moment. >> we want to be positive in all that we do even some of the negative things we want to turn that around and make it positive. >> reporter: raise

your hand if there was anything that happened this week in your city that made you proud. did you find something that made you proud? >> i was so proud to see people cleaning the areas after all of the chaos. >> cause and effect -- >> reporter: and they have high hopes for the future. >> i've seen the city accomplish a lot of good things. and i believe if we work together we can accomplish more things. >> i think after like a program that would bring everybody together and be sorry for all the bad things they have done. >> i want baltimore to be a better place for my children to grow up in. >> reporter: still growing up themselves but this week getting a clearer idea of who they want to be. rehema ellis, nbc news baltimore. >> that will do it for us on this friday night. i'm lester holt reporting from baltimore. for all of us at nbc news thank you for watching and good night.

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