A Maryland police officer who was shot and killed outside a police station was hit by ‘friendly fire’ from a fellow officer, the NY Daily News reports.
Officer Jacai Colson, 28, was shot and killed outside a Landover, Md., police station as 2 brothers filmed their oldest brother’s attempted suicide by cop on Sunday afternoon.
Police say brothers Malik Ford, 21, and Elijah Ford, 18, plotted with their eldest brother Michael DeAndre Ford, 22, to film his suicide as he fired on cops and civilians with a handgun.
Michael Ford’s mother, Lisa Ford, told police her son suffered from Schizophrenia.
The younger brothers recorded Michael’s last Will and Testament on a cell phone. Then they followed him in a vehicle and filmed as he randomly opened fire on cars and even an ambulance.
Around 4:30 p.m., the three brothers arrived at the police station and Michael shot at police vehicles. 5 officers returned fire.
Officer Jacai Colson, 28, arrived at the police station at around the same time as the brothers. He was dressed for undercover duty in plain clothes and driving an unmarked vehicle.
Colson “found himself in the middle of a gunfight,” Police Chief Hank Stawinski told The Daily News.
Ballistic evidence shows Colson was struck by a bullet fired by another officer who tried to take down Michael Ford.
Stawinski believes the other officer mistook Colson for a gunman.
“This community needs to know that this was callously recorded and could have been prevented,” Stawinski said.
Police arrested all 3 brothers. Michael is in stable condition at a local hospital.
His mother suffered a heart attack after police served a search warrant at her residence. She was admitted to the same hospital as her oldest son.
“Michael needed some help, he needed some counseling,” his aunt Shanelle Ramos-Rogers told the Daily News. “I don’t know how this came to be.”
“We are just devastated,” she continued. “We are sorry for everything and all the grief we caused in this officer’s life. We are truly shameful for everything going on.”
The NY Daily News reports the three brothers face a minimum of 21 charges including second-degree murder, six counts of attempted first degree murder, nine counts of use of a handgun in the commission of a felony and additional charges will be added when the investigation is complete.
The department has received condolences from the White House.
