Investigation Into Police Custody Spinal Death

An investigation into the death of an African-American man from spinal injuries following his arrest in Baltimore has been launched by the US Justice Department.

The inquiry will look for civil rights violations in the case of Freddie Gray, who died on Sunday a week after he suffered an unexplained "medical emergency" in a police van.

Baltimore police have said Mr Gray was taken to hospital about half an hour after he was detained "without force or incident" for carrying a switchblade.

Mr Gray, whose age has been reported as 25 or 27, was arrested after police "made eye contact" with him and another man and the two started running, authorities said.

Amateur video shows Mr Gray being dragged towards the police van, but does not show the whole encounter.

Baltimore police released the names on Tuesday of six officers who have been suspended with pay after Mr Gray's death.

They were identified as Lt Brian Rice, Sgt Alicia White, and Officers Caesar Goodson, William Porter, Garrett Miller and Edward Nero.

Billy Murphy, the lawyer hired by Mr Gray's family, said he believes the officers had no probable cause to stop him.

"Running while black is not probable cause," he said.

"They were vague about how his spine was injured. Who did it? How did they do it and why did they do it?"

Police released more details on Monday about Mr Gray's arrest.

They said he was placed in leg irons after an officer felt he was becoming "irate" in the back of the van.

Police said the van made several stops on its way to the station, including to pick up another prisoner in an unrelated case.

Mr Gray had asked for an inhaler and requested medical care several times before he was ultimately taken to hospital, police said.

The case follows a string of recent police killings of black men that critics say highlights officers' racial bias and an over-reliance on force when dealing with suspects.

More than a thousand demonstrators took to the streets on Tuesday night to kick off a week of protests planned across Baltimore in the wake of Mr Gray's death.

"The world is watching, and the world needs to see that black Baltimore is unified," said Pastor Jamal Bryant, one of the rally's organisers.