Freddie Gray’s death in April sparked riots.
By Raif Karerat
The Maryland Insurance Administration has revealed insurance companies have paid $12.9 million in claims stemming from civil unrest in Baltimore linked to the death in April of Freddie Gray.
According to a report by the Associated Press, the agency said Tuesday the payments include $11.6 million for commercial property damage that resulted from rioters damaging or looting hundreds of businesses, even setting some ablaze, following Gray’s funeral on April 27.
The insurance administration disclosed property, casualty and automobile insurers received 445 commercial claims related to the disturbance as of July 27, the deadline for submitting data to the state, while payments on noncommercial claims totaled $1.3 million.
Freddie Gray was a 25-year-old black man who died from injuries he sustained while in police custody following his arrest for carrying a switchblade knife.
His death sparked both peaceful protesting and rioting in not only Baltimore — which entered a mandatory citywide curfew period during the ordeal — but across the country.
An earlier estimate from May put the rioting damage at $9 million, and it’s possible that the current figure, though already higher, could continue to grow as additional information is gathered independently by both the Baltimore City government and the Baltimore Development Corp.
According to the Baltimore Business Journal, businesses impacted by April’s unrest have until Aug. 31 to apply for a recovery loan from the Baltimore Development Corp.
Loans through the Baltimore Business Recovery Fund are up to $35,000 with zero interest. The loans are 100 percent forgiven if the business stays open for at least two years.