Verdict Reached In Shooting Of Handcuffed Suspect By Prince George's Officer

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Michael Owen, Jr., the first Prince George's County police officer to be charged with murder for his actions while in uniform, has been found not guilty on all counts lodged against him in the fatal shooting of a handcuffed man. Two of those charges included second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter.

The incident happened Jan. 27, 2020. Owen fatally shot 43-year-old William Green six times while Green's hands were cuffed behind his back. The question at hand was whether or not Green pulled the trigger in self defense.

Prosecutors argued at trial that Green, who had been found earlier passed out in a car, posed no threat and that Owen failed to “respect the sanctity of human life” by firing his service weapon at the man, according to The Washington Post. Owen testified that there was a violent struggle in the car and he ended up shooting Green to protect himself.

After five days of testimony, a jury found Owen not guilty of assault, use of a handgun in commission of a felony and misconduct in office.

“I can’t believe that man killed my son and got away with it,” Green’s mother, Brenda Green, said in court before later remarking in disbelief, “Oh my God, they let that murderer off scot-free and mark my word he’s going to kill somebody else because he’s done it before.”

The Prince George's County Police Department stated that it was aware of the verdict but that Owen remained suspended without pay while an internal administrative review was conducted.

Read more at The Washington Post