Police: Officer mistook plainclothes officer for threat

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Police: Officer mistook plainclothes officer for threat
Ben Nuckols, Associated Press

Updated 5:44 pm, Wednesday, March 16, 2016



UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (AP) — The plainclothes Maryland police officer who died in a chaotic shootout at a Maryland police station was deliberately shot by a fellow officer who did not recognize him and viewed him as an armed threat, a police chief said Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters outside the Prince George's County courthouse, Police Chief Hank Stawinski was careful not to speculate about the state of mind of the unidentified officer who fired upon Officer Jacai Colson on Sunday afternoon outside a police station in Landover, but he said it was clear that the officer feared for his life.

. . .

Three brothers who live near the suburban Washington police station have been charged in the gunfight, which police have described as an attempt by the suicidal oldest brother, 22-year-old Michael Ford, to provoke officers into killing him. According to police, Ford was driven to the station by his two younger brothers and began firing at the building and at passing vehicles, causing officers to return fire. Ford fired more than 20 shots, prosecutors said in court Wednesday.

Police said Ford's brothers aided him before and during the shootout and used their cellphones to record video of the gunfight. They also recorded video of Michael Ford offering a "last will and testament," police said.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Brothers-to-appear-for-bond-review-hearing-in-6893113.php

[MrScorpio]

1. Unnamed Cop: "Oh my goodness! A black guy with a gun... I must do something about this." nt

[Action_Patrol]

9. Stay classy

[MrScorpio]

10. Well, you know, the greatest danger to a black cop on the street are other cops...

It's not like we haven't seen this before.

[ZombieHorde]

11. Again and again.

Cops are scary people.

[Jenny_92808]

12. What you are really saying is Not to bring up race

which is obviously a factor.

[Action_Patrol]

13. No, it fucking isn't.

You don't know who shot him. There was an active shooter situation and he jumped out of the car in plain clothes. You have no idea who shot him. Ever been to PG County, Maryland? I lived there for years. The police department is fucked up but this is not a common or normal situation.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

15. So you don't believe it when the Police Chief admits it's his officer?

The plainclothes Maryland police officer who died in a chaotic shootout at a Maryland police station was deliberately shot by a fellow officer who did not recognize him and viewed him as an armed threat, a police chief said Wednesday.

[Action_Patrol]

16. Isn't what I said at all.

You're being deliberately obtuse as usual.

Of course he was shot by a fellow officer, do you know the race of who shot him?
I don't.
He jumped out of a car with a gun in normal clothes and was killed during a gun fight. It's Fucking tragic.

Edit:

After reading again what was typed, I can see how it was interpreted.

Not deleting what I typed above because I said it and own it.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

17. I guess we both misinterpreted.

I thought you were implying that he may have been shot by the "active shooter".

Anyway, no biggie.

[Journeyman]

2. Yeah, I thought it might be that. Chaotic wouldn't begin to describe what that situation was like...

[Chakab]

3. There have been several cases of black officers in plainclothes being beaten or killed by

other officers.

http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20150926/NEWS/150929405


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beating_of_Michael_Cox


https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19950112&id=YmcxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YwMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3893,3243583&hl=en


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornel_Young_Jr.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. He was from the Philly area

and this has been a big story up here.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160315__The_best_we_had__-_Delco_coaches_recall_slain_cop.html

PA Governor Wolf had ordered flags flown at half-staff on state buildings to honor him.

This is what folks talk about when they say someone "fits the description"... where that "description" is a preconceived stereotypical fictional "black male thug" that both white and black cops are trained to shoot on site - in some cases, even if they attempt to identify themselves as a LEO (see a number of cases in NYC over the past 10 years).

[demigoddess]

5. If cops 'fear for their lives' just seeing another armed man

why am I supposed to be comfortable with armed men running around? I am not armed, I cannot call for backup, and I can't tell cops from criminals. Apparently even cops can't remember each other. Don't they meet up at roll call and a beer after work?? Maybe this wasn't a mistake after all.

[sofa king]

6. For the Snark was a Boojum, you see.

What a terrible mistake. How do you live with that?

[blackspade]

7. And why would the "unidentified officer" fear for his life?

Oh right, Jacai Colson is Black, and was armed.

[valerief]

8. Since the victim was black, I'll bet the unidentified shooter was white. Cuz America. nt

[NobodyHere]

14. 4 lives wasted

I hope the brothers get long prison sentences.