Baltimore Radio Host Airs Outlandish Theories About Freddie Gray

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/04/29/baltimore-radio-host-tom-marr-freddie-gray/

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(This post is from our new blog: Unofficial Sources.)

Baltimore talk-radio fixture Tom Marr aired outlandish theories about the death of Freddie Gray during his Tuesday morning show, suggesting that Gray’s severed spine could be the result of a botched burglary or a “pre-existing condition.”

“I’m hearing that Freddie Gray may have sustained an injury himself while fleeing from police on March 20th, 2015. What I’m hearing is that in order to try to elude police, he jumped from a window, possibly as high as three stories,” said Marr.

Marr serves a “slice of the conservative pie” on his morning show on Talk Radio 680 WCBM. Gray, an African-American 25-year-old, died from spinal cord injuries while in police custody earlier this month.

Marr drifted between alternative theories to suggest that police might not be responsible for Gray’s death. “Did [Gray] have a preexisting condition?” asked Marr, after running through Gray’s criminal drug record and floating the possibility that he died from running into a wall. “We just don’t know answers yet.”

Throughout the segment, Marr took calls and entertained a range of ideas to explain the unrest in Baltimore City, including the role of welfare, illegal immigration, and the “entitlement mentality” in the African American community. “Oh you want to use food stamps to buy illegal drugs, go ahead,” said Marr, claiming the welfare programs started in the 1960s have been “an utter and complete disaster,” particularly for “poor blacks.”

Marr also pinned the blame for Baltimore’s woes on Reverend Jamal Bryant, the pastor who delivered the eulogy for Freddie Gray’s funeral on Monday. Though Rev. Bryant repeatedly called for calm after the funeral and urged protesters to “go back home,” Marr singled him out for criticism.

“The young black males, the Al Sharptons of the world and the Reverend Jamal Bryants of the world, they’re not out on the streets demonstrating against the blacks shooting and killing other blacks,” said Marr. “They’re out to blame everything on whitey.”

Listen to the interview here:

Marr has been on the airwaves in the Baltimore area for decades, first as a play-by-play announcer for the Orioles and in recent years as a popular voice in conservative talk radio. During his term in office, Gov. Bob Ehrlich, R-Md., often served as Marr’s guest host. Recently elected Gov. Larry Hogan, R-Md., is also a friend of the show and frequent guest on the program.

Towards the end of the segment about Gray, Marr effortlessly transitioned into a pitch for one of his advertisers, a reverse mortgage company.

Photo of Tom Marr with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan: WCBM/Twitter