On Wednesday, the Washington Post published a police report alleging that Freddie Gray had injured himself while being transported in police custody, based on an account given by another prisoner in the van. That man, Donta Allen, has come forward, speaking to CBS Baltimore’s WJZ today.

“I am Donta Allen. I am the one who was in the van with Freddie Gray,” he said. “All I did was go straight to the station, but I heard a little banging like he was banging his head.”

“They trying to make it seem like I told them that, I made it like Freddie Gray did that to himself,” Allen said. “Why the fuck would he do that to himself?”

Allen had been arrested for stealing cigarettes and was never charged, WJZ reports.

“I had two options today right, either come and talk to y’all and get my credibility straight with y’all and not get killed,” Allen said, “or not tell a true story.”

“The only reason I’m doing this is because they put my name in a bad state.”


Image via WJZ. Contact the author of this post: brendan.oconnor@gawker.com.