Mosby is sympathetic to the concerns both of law enforcement officers and of people — especially African-Americans — who are worried about police misconduct. Or at least she makes a convincing case that she can see both sides of the debate over racialized policing and the police-involved deaths of unarmed African-Americans.

"To the people of Baltimore and the demonstrators across America, I heard your call for ‘no justice, no peace,’" Mosby said Friday. "To the youth of this city: I will seek justice on your behalf."

She also revealed that, at 35, she has a personal stake in the plight of the young people in Baltimore who were the most outspoken protestors after Gray's death. Her use of "our" instead of "your" at the end of this statement suggests that in some ways, she considers herself to be one of them: "You're at the forefront of this cause and as young people, our time is now."

At the same time, Mosby emphasized her personal connection to the law enforcement community, saying, " My father was an officer, my mother was an officer, several of my aunts and uncles, my recently departed and beloved grandfather was one of the founding members of the first Black police organization in Massachusetts. I can tell you that the actions of these officers will not and should not, in any way, damage the important working relationships between police and prosecutors as we continue to fight together to reduce crime in Baltimore."