the police commissioner anthony batts was fired. since that moment, batts has maintained his silence, that is until tonight in an interview with jeff pegues. >> i was clenching my fists and gritting my teeth and say, move, go, go. >> reporter: when the rioting started, former police commissioner anthony batts remembers wondering why his officers were reacting so slowly. he denies an allegation from the police union that officers were told to give the protesters room. you're saying it's not accurate? >> i'm telling you that the mayor never told me or gave me an order to stand down. i never heard her at any given point in time give anybody an order to stand down. i never told anybody to stand down. >> reporter: batts says the real problem was training. >> we didn't have enough time to get prepared the way we should. that falls on me. i take accountability for that protest. >> reporter: within days six police officers had been arrested on various charges for putting freddie gray in a police van unrestrained and for 45 minutes denying h

the police commissioner anthony batts was fired. erview with jeff pegues. >> i was clinching my fist, gritting my teeth. saying move, go. go! >> reporter: when the rioting started former police commissioner anthony batts remembered wondering why his officers were reacting so slowly. he denies an allegation from the police union that officers were told to give the protesters room. >> you are saying it's not accurate? >> i'm telling you that the mayor never told me or gave me an order to stand down. i never heard at any given point in time he gave any one an order to stand down. i never told anybody to stand down. >> reporter: batts said the real problem was training. >> we didn't have enough time to get prepared the way we should. that falls on me. i take accountability. >> reporter: within days, six police officers had been arrested on various charges for putting freddie gray in a police van unrestrained and for 45 minutes denying him medical care. should the six officers have been charged? >> i will answer your question like this. u

. >> when the officers were convicted last year, crystal says police commissioner anthony batts missed an opportunity to make changes. >> in 2014, batts had two cops under his command who were found guilty by a baltimore jury for taking a guy out of a wagon and assulting him. if you'd taken steps when this man was assaulted, maybe freddie gray didn't have to die. >> commissioner batts declined an interview request. after gray's death, the u.s. department of justice opened an investigation into the baltimore police department. we took crystal's claims to gene ryan, the president of baltimore's police union, just after a membership meeting. >> do you think there's accountability for police misconduct in baltimore? >> there's investigations. there's been almost 300 officers that have been terminated in the last 12-15 years, and that doesn't count the officers resigned in lieu of termination or the ones that have been punished. there's a system in place, things are happening, investigations are done. >> is there a blue wall of silence? >> no. can i finish up now guys? >> what happens to po