BALTIMORE — A mix of mourning and civil rights protest took center stage Monday at a funeral attended by thousands paying tribute to a man who died after suffering a severe spinal injury in police custody.

Freddie Gray’s death under mysterious circumstances is the latest touchstone amid the national debate over police use of force. Many who had never met him gathered in a Baltimore church to bid him farewell and press for more accountability among law enforcement.

Just hours later, at least seven officers were hurt in a violent confrontation with a large group of youths outside a shopping mall. Television footage showed officers in riot gear and dozens of people hurling bricks, rocks and other items. One officer was unresponsive and others had broken bones, and a police cruiser was destroyed, said Capt. Eric Kowalczyk.

Early in the service, the attorney representing Gray’s family, Billy Murphy, received a standing ovation after calling on the six officers who arrested him to tell the public what happened.

“This is our moment to get at truth. This is our moment to get it right,” Murphy said.