Police officers salute as the body of fallen Prince George’s County Police Officer Jacai Colson is taken from the hospital. Two suspects are reportedly in custody, brothers Malik and Michael Ford, 23 and 24. (Prince George’s County Police/Twitter)
Two brothers are in custody after an officer was ambushed and killed Sunday afternoon outside of a police station in Prince George’s County, Maryland, the Washington Post reports.
Family members and police sources identified the suspects as Malik and Michael Ford, ages 23 and 24, according to the Post. Another brother, Elijah Ford, is also a suspect.
Officer Jacai Colson, 28, was fatally shot during an “unprovoked attack” outside of the department’s District III station in Landover, Police Chief Henry Stawinski said.
He was killed by friendly fire, the police chief says. He was accidentally shot by another officer.
The shooting happened at about 4:30 p.m.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Two of the Brothers Recorded the Ambush on Cell Phones While Another Opened Fire, Sources Say
(Police photos)
According to Fox 5 News, the suspected gunman, Michael Ford, opened fire on the police station, pasing cars and an ambulance, while his brothers, Malik and Elijah Ford, recorded the shooting on cell phones. It was apparently an attempted suicide by cop by Ford, the news station reports.
Police said one of the suspects was shot during the incident, but is expected to survive. He was identified by family as Michael Ford, who has been previously diagnosed with schizophrenia. The suspect was taken to the same hospital as Officer Coulson.
Erica Thomas says her nephews Michael and Malik Ford shot the officer. Shes looking for wounded nephew
Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks called the shooting an “act of cowardice” and an “horrific act of evil,” according to Fox News.
She promised an “aggressive” investigation and prosecution.
2. Malik & Michael Ford’s Family Members Were Looking for Them at the Hospital
Erica Thomas said police not giving info on her nephews, Malik Ford, 23, and Michael Ford, 24. @WashInformer
Family members were at the hospital and said Michael Ford was shot during the incident, the Washington Post reports.
“What we wanna know is why did all of this happen? What caused this? That’s what we wanna know,” Erica Thomas, the Fords’ aunt, told the Post. “I apologize if that’s the case, but all lives matter. Where is my nephew?”
Deirde Ramos, the brothers’ 60-year-old grandmother, said they “weren’t involved” and told the newspaper the police arrested the wrong people.
Michael Ford has a criminal record, according to the New York Daily News.
The record included arrests for several non-violent crimes, including theft, public urination and possession of drug paraphernalia, the Daily News reports.
3. Colson Was a Pennsylvania Native & the Grandson of a Longtime Officer
Officer Jacai Colson. (Prince George’s County Police Department Photo)
Colson was a native of Boothwyn, Pennsylvania, according to his Facebook page.
His grandfather is a retired Delaware County, Pennsylvania, police officer. Sergeant James G. Colson Jr., was an officer in Upper Chichester for more than 40 years, according to an article in the Delaware County Times.
The younger Colson graduated from Chichester High School. A high school teammate tweeted a photo Sunday, saying he was the football team’s quarterback:
@justin_fenton he was the quaterback. We called him “hov”
He then attended Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, graduating in 2009.
Officers pray outside PG hospital, 1 cop shot & in critical condition. 2 suspects apprehended @cbsbaltimore #WJZ pic.twitter.com/PXBzjI4MCR
— Amy Yensi WJZ (@AmyWJZ) March 13, 2016
The local Fraternal Order of Police president, John Teletchea, called Officer Jacai Colson a “cop’s cop” during a press conference announcing his death. He also said Colson was a friend.
“Jacai had an infectious smile, he lit up a room,” Teletchea said.
Colson was a four-year veteran of the department and was a narcotics officer, police said.
4. Police Say Colson Was Going About His Business When the Shooting Occurred
Scene.
The chief called the shooting “unprovoked,” but did not say if there was a motive for the assault on the police station.
“Our officers were going about their business and were attacked,” Chief Henry Stawinski said. “Those officers did not shrink. They bravely advanced and engaged this individual who was threatening not just the police officers and the police facility that he was opening fire upon but numerous members of the community in the area.”
A neighbor described the scene to the Washington Post.
“He fired one shot, and then he started pacing back and forth, then fired another shot,” said Lascelles Grant. “Who would shoot a police station on Sunday evening? This is insane.”
The chief told reporters that Colson was not engaged with the suspect, and that the gunman opened fire on the first officer he saw. Grant said officers poured out of the station.
“Just looking outside, I’m like, ‘Oh my God, look at all these police officers running out, putting their lives really in danger,'” Grant told the Post.
5. Colson Is the Third Police Officer Killed in Maryland This Year
Colson is the third officer from the state of Maryland and the fourth from the region killed in the line of duty in 2016, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan ordered flags to fly at half-staff and released a statement Sunday night:
I am shocked and saddened by the news this evening of the death of Prince George’s County police officer Jacai Colson in the line of duty. Our administration is committed to assisting Prince George’s County officials during this time, and the Maryland State Police are working closely with local law enforcement to provide support as needed.
The First Lady and I send our sincere prayers to the family and loved ones of Officer Colson, who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to his fellow citizens and community. It is my hope that his proud legacy of commitment and passion for law enforcement and serving others will provide some comfort in the difficult days that lie ahead.
Two officers from the Harford County Sheriff’s Office were fatally shot on February 10, Senior Deputy Mark Logsdon and Senior Deputy Patrick Dailey. A suspect, David Evans, was charged in that shooting.
On February 27, a Prince William County, Virginia, police officer, Ashley Guindon, was fatally shot while responding to a domestic incident on her first day on the job. Prince William County is about an hour away from Prince Georges County, Maryland. Ronald Hamilton has been charged in her death.
