No Charges in Fatal ‘Friendly Fire’ Police Shooting

Upper Marlboro, MD — The police officer who mistakenly shot and killed fellow police officer Jacai Colson during a firefight outside the District III police station in Landover will not face charges in the death.

A Prince George's County grand jury did not indict Officer Taylor Krauss, who fired the fatal shot at Colson in a March gun battle. Police Chief Hank Stawinski has said that Krauss mistook Colson, who was not in uniform, for a suspect during an ambush by Michael Ford of Landover at the police station.

Ford is charged with murder in Colson's death.

Stawinski said the officers who ran out of the District III station were fired upon as Ford tried to commit "suicide by cop," while Colson arrived in an unmarked vehicle in the middle of the gunfight. The fallen officer “heroically” stepped out of his car to draw gunfire, which let the other officers gain a better tactical advantage over the shooter and then render first aid, the police chief said.

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Colson was dressed in civilian clothes and was not in body armor. “He (was) not prepared for a firefight,”Stawinski said.

At a news conference Friday, state's attorney Angela Alsobrooks said the grand jury had access to evidence and heard from several witnesses to the shooting. Jurors were allowed to consider indicting Krauss on charges ranging from first-degree murder to misconduct in office, WTOP reports.

Alsobrooks said Colson’s family is "understandably disappointed” by the grand jury's decision.

Colson was running backward and firing his weapon at Ford when Krauss fired his rifle. Police said Krauss was the only officer with a rifle at the scene.

The police officers didn’t shoot randomly or panic, they were aware of the residences behind their target and cars passing by as Ford fired at them, the police chief said. The officers involved were looking for the threat.

The March 13 gunfight that led to Officer Jacai Colson’s death was filmed by Ford’s brothers -- Malik Ford, 21, of Fort Washington and Elijah Ford, 18, of Landover, prosecutors charge.

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Brothers Involved In, Filmed Gunfight

Grand jurors indicted Michael Ford on 55 criminal charges in May, authorities said, including second-degree murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree assault.

Malik and Elijah Ford were also each indicted on charges of attempted murder and conspiracy for the attack on the District III police station.

The attempted murder charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison, and the defendants face multiple charges for each of the police officers involved in the parking lot gun battle, prosecutors said.

While Elijah and Malik Ford didn’t fire a weapon, they face the attempted murder and conspiracy charges for allegedly failing to prevent their brother’s fatal assault on the police station, State’s Attorney Sharon Alsobrooks said at a press conference.

“This caused tremendous hurt, from the officers who were involved that day who were were outside, to their families, certainly the family of Officer Colson, his parents,” Alsobrooks said. … “This really has caused quite a bit of harm. Officer Colson came there to help and was killed.”

An emotional Stawinski previously denounced the brothers of the suspect for allegedly recording the gun battle rather than trying to warn passers-by or stop their brother, who intended to die in the shootout.

“This was callously recorded and could have been prevented,” Stawinski said.

Michael Ford wanted notoriety, State’s Attorney Sharon Alsobrooks said in court in April.

Ford wanted the smartphone video his brothers took of the shooting sent to the WorldStar Hip Hop entertainment website, a detective testified in court, reports WTOP.

Colson, 28, is survived by his parents, James and Sheila Colson, and a younger brother, Jurea. He grew up in Boothwyn, PA.

»Photo of slain officer Jacai Colson, courtesy of Prince George's County Police