Baltimore's Police Commissioner: 'There is a Sense of Rage'

As protests over the death of Freddie Gray continue in Baltimore, Maryland, the city's police commissioner said this week that protesters are feeling a "sense of rage, and rightfully so."

Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts made his comments after walking with other law enforcement officials in the streets of Baltimore on Thursday, encouraging protesters to obey the 10 p.m. curfew that was put in place this week after stores were looted and police cars set ablaze in late night rioting on Monday.

"There is a sense of rage and rightly so," Batts told USA TODAY. "The Constitution says you should have the right to protest in the street and walk to get your point across. So that's what we facilitate."

Batts went on to say that police in the city are trying their best to allow protesters to speak their minds without crossing the line and then turning violent.

"We stand on the side and try to allow people to voice their opinions, voice their rage, voice their concerns," Batts said. "We had a young man lose his life. I think that's a critical issue."

Protesters have taken to the streets for over the past week to voice their opposition to the recent death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old who died of a spinal cord injury while in police custody in late April.

Several protesters are demanding that there be more transparency from city officials and law enforcement in regard to the cause of Gray's death, but the mayor's office said this week that little information will be released to the public on Friday.

"The misconception is that this report will be released publicly and it will not be," Cheryl Stewart, a spokesperson for the mayor's office, told USA Today. "We just want to make it clear that releasing too much information could be harmful to the investigation and to justice."