PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — The family of slain Prince George’s County Police Officer Jacai Colson is calling on county prosecutors to reopen the 6-year-old friendly-fire tragedy with an eye toward prosecuting the fellow officer who fired the fatal shot.
“By no means is the Colson family finished,” said James Colson, the father of Jacai Colson.
Lawyers for the Colson family - who lost their son after a fellow police officer mistook him for a threat - also announced Wednesday that a $400,000 settlement has been reached in their civil lawsuit against Prince George's County.
The announcement is the most recent update in the years-long situation that began when a gunman attacked county police headquarters in March 2016.
A shootout resulted from the attack, which left 28-year-old narcotics detective Jacai Colson dead. Another officer, Taylor Krauss, shot Colson after mistaking him for a threat. Colson was serving in a plainclothes capacity and wasn't in uniform, according to former Prince George's County Police Chief Hank Stawinski.
Colson's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2018, alleging that Krauss showed a "reckless disregard for human life" by shooting through an obstructed view. However, he was ultimately cleared by a grand jury.
The legal counsel stated that they are pleased the matter won't have to go to trial and re-traumatize the family with disturbing details. They are also pleased that the settlement brings some sense of closure.
However, the legal team and family stated that the settlement does not fully encompass the degree of justice deserved.
James Colson said his son was “killed recklessly by another officer from the Prince George’s County Police Department.”
"There's no amount of money that is worth the life of my son - especially after he was a hero and saved the community, only to be recklessly and carelessly shot," Colson's mother said at the press conference. "This county was not forthright with showing us what really happened and that made the reality even harder to take."
Family members said they remain bitter because a county grand jury declined to bring any charges against Krauss, who fired the fatal shot from an AR-15 rifle near the end of the gunfight with suspects who were attacking the District 3 police station in Palmer Park on March 11, 2016.
The victim's family also took turns sharing the sentiment that the county did not do enough to achieve justice for Jacai Colson and called out officials whom they felt did not come to their aid sufficiently.
The Colson family said they blame former State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks for failing to present a strong case to the grand jury in 2016.
Alsobrooks is now the county executive of Prince George’s County.
“This was certainly an incident that was painful to the Colson family and members of the Prince George’s County Police Department,” Alsobrooks said in a written statement.
“While the County has disputed many of the allegations in this lawsuit, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the family members and friends of Corporal Jacai Colson.”
Alsobrooks said her administration has worked to reform police practices to “carry us forward into the future.”
The legal team emphasized that they feel race was a factor in the situation, alleging that Colson, a Black officer, was mistaken for the Black attacker, Ford, by a white officer, Krauss.
The legal team also stated that they have seen a host of evidence that the Prince George's Police Department fails to adequately train their officers and check excessive use of force.
"The department must continue to right the wrongs that have been done and provide reparations to the numerous victims of their excessive force," a member of the legal team said.
The Prince George's County Police Department did not immediately provide a statement in response to the allegations by the family's legal team.
The Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Office will review any new evidence presented in this matter and determine the appropriate course of action. However, to date, no new information has been provided to this office.
Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy released the following statement on the calls from Colson’s family to re-open the investigation of Krauss’ actions, which they call “careless” and “reckless.”
The Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Office will review any new evidence presented in this matter and determine the appropriate course of action. However, to date, no new information has been provided to this office.
A judge ultimately sentenced the original attacker, Michael Ford, to 195 years. A jury convicted the 25-year-old man of second-degree murder and other charges. Ford testified he was trying to get himself killed by police when he fired his handgun nearly two dozen times outside the station.
Ford's two younger brothers drove him to the police station and videotaped the 2016 shooting with their cellphones. They pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison terms of 20 and 12 years.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.