WASHINGTON — It was just over a year ago that Prince George’s County Detective Jacai Colson lost his life in a chaotic shootout outside police headquarters.
Colson, an undercover cop, was killed in a friendly fire incident as police scrambled to respond to another man who opened fire at officers.
This year, one of Colson’s close friends on the force is trying honor his fallen colleague’s legacy in a way that stays true to his spirit while also promoting continued service to the community.
The inaugural Jacai Colson Invitational basketball tournament is being played throughout the weekend at Oxon Hill High School.
The event features a slew of teams from D.C., Maryland and northern Virginia, but has also attracted teams from New Jersey and Virginia’s Tidewater area.
The first games tipped off Friday night and will culminate with the championship game at 3 p.m. Sunday.
“He was a big sports fan,” said Detective Jonathan Sanders, the organizer of the event.
The two shared a love for football, if not football teams; Sanders is a big time Redskins fan while Colson grew up in Pennsylvania and was an Eagles fan.
“We just wanted to do something to keep his name alive and keep everything going on, keep everything upbeat,” said Sanders. “He loves sports, and I know if he was here he’d definitely be enjoying this.”
The story of Colson’s death was shocking in its brazenness and inhumanity, and even now the events of that day stick out, even if Colson’s name doesn’t still resonate with the public. But to those who did know him, Colson remains an unforgettable member of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
“He was a very humble, and very genuine person. It’s hard to find people like that,” said Sanders. “You could talk to him about anything. He always had an ear to listen to anything you wanted to discuss with him. He just was a genuinely good person. He put people’s thoughts and feelings above his own. He would always go the extra mile for everyone.”
It’s that spirit that brought teams from D.C. police, Metro Transit Police and other first responders from around the area to Oxon Hill High School.
Rodney Rogers, a probation officer from Patterson, New Jersey, who used to work in the area, brought a squad down for this event too.
“When I hear of tournaments and stuff that’s taking place, I try my best to support them,” said Rogers, who played ball in college for Drexel University. “When they gave me the call we started a team, brought some of my friends down to support.”
Rogers said it wasn’t hard to do.
“We’re always willing to support something like that, being officers ourselves,” Rogers said. “We know what it’s like being in the field and we support those guys fully.”
While this is the first event, Sanders said it won’t be the last.
“We’re going to look to build and have more teams next year and have bigger venues. We have a lot of plans and a lot of thoughts in the works,” said Sanders. “Of course by being the first year you’re testing the waters out and see how everything goes, and we’re just going to build from here and make it just a bigger and better event each year.”
Money raised will help set up a scholarship in Colson’s name. It’ll be awarded to a graduating senior from Chichester High School (outside of Philadelphia, where Colson grew up and graduated from) who shows an interest in law enforcement.
