Judge declares mistrial in Freddie Gray police case

The manslaughter trial of a Baltimore policeman accused over the death in custody of African-American Freddie Gray was declared a mistrial Wednesday after the jury failed to reach a verdict, putting the city on edge.

Police were out in force in parts of the gritty East Coast city in a bid to avoid a repeat of the riots and looting that erupted after the death in April of the 25-year-old Gray, the latest in a series of high-profile cases of perceived police brutality in the United States.

William Porter was the first of six police officers to stand trial over the death of Gray, who suffered a snapped spine while being transported unrestrained in the rear of a Baltimore police van.

Judge Barry Williams declared a mistrial -- something which is rare in US courts -- after the jury of five men and seven women was hung following two days of deliberations.

It is now up to prosecutors whether Porter should be retried with another jury at a later date.